After all, Mischief is Only a Form of Art
by avengergeek
Summary: Sayrah,Norse patron goddess of the arts and creativity had pined over Loki since the days of the Vikings. He only considers her a friend but, after his stint on Midgard, that might change. Sayrah is the only one who still supports him when he returns. Meanwhile, Thanos is plotting revenge on Loki for screwing up his plans. Can Sayrah stop his plan and save her one love in time?
1. Chapter 1

When he left, her world came crashing down. He _was _her world. She just couldn't believe he had gone. He didn't even know about her feelings for him. She wanted to be noticed by him, but was too afraid to speak up. She hid her true feelings behind a mask of friendly banter and sarcastic jokes. She was his closest friend. That was better than being one of his toys, right? Why did he go?

"Sayrah." A voice called her from her musings. She looked up, her vision hazy. It was Sif. "Odin has requested everyone's presence for a meeting."

"I don't want to go." Sayrah blinked at Sif through bleary eyes. "Tell him I'm busy."

Sif gave her a hard look. "It concerns Lo- the Prince."

Her curiosity peaked. "Fine."

* * *

"Brothers and Sisters, I have called you all here to discuss an issue that concerns all of us. All of Asgard. Maybe even all of the nine realms." The entire Hall fell silent and stared at him. "Many of you know the recent conflict over the throne. As a result, there has been a loss that has devastated all of us."

Sayrah scowled, knowing that not everyone in the room was "devastated" by Loki's disappearance. She glanced at Sif, who wore an unconvincing look of solemnity upon her face.

"We have searched valiantly for my son. Heimdall has turned his all- seeing gaze on every imaginable plane. He was somehow shielded from us. I have done my best to discern his location to bring him home safely."

Sayrah clenched her fists. Odin could care less if Loki came back to Asgard. He was only a pawn to him.

"I know that his loss has caused a great grievance among Asgard. My family's pain has been unbearable."

She gripped the edge of the table, trying to calm herself down.

"I love my son and will do whatever it takes to get him back. With that, I-"

"STOP LYING!" Sayrah leaped out of her seat, knocking her chair to the ground. Her voice resounded through the quiet hall. "YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BAT AN EYE IF HE DIED!"

"Sayrah, please calm down. You don't know what you're talking about." Sif placed a hand on her arm, trying to force her to sit back down. "You're embarrassing yourself."

"NO!" Sayrah brushed her off. "Tell them the truth Odin. Tell them the truth about your 'son'. Tell Thor the truth about his 'brother'." She fixed her gaze on Odin's blank face. "Tell them."

Thor turned to look at Odin. "Father? What is she saying?"

Odin ignored him and turned to Sayrah. "I don't think that this is relevant to this conversation."

She slammed her fist on the table. "IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS CONVERSATION! IF YOU DON'T I WILL."

"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!" Odin bellowed.

Sayrah fell silent and looked round at the faces behind the table. Sif was horrified, Thor had confusion painted across his face, Odin looked furious. Everyone else sat stoically. They were used to Sayrah's outbursts.

Balder broke the silence. "Odin, if what she says is true, then it might be absolutely important to Loki's return. It's not going to do us any good if you keep us all in the dark." Sayrah rolled her eyes. Leave it to Balder to be the voice of reason.

The other aesir nodded in agreement. Odin glanced around and sighed. "I suppose that this _is _a good time as any to tell you all the truth." He slumped back into his throne, defeated. "Long ago, when the world was still new, and we battled the Frost Giants to protect the humans, I happened upon a child. He was small for a giant's offspring. He was abandoned, in suffering. He was left to die. I took in him hopes that he could one day unite the two kingdoms, but those hopes have withered. It was all my fault."

"It was, wasn't it?" Sayrah growled. "And now he's gone because of you. Because he wanted to prove himself to the likes of you. You disgust me."

"I will not tolerate such insolence to the All- Father!" Sif shouted at her. The aesir sat in stunned silence. How could this be true? Thor cast his eyes downward, avoiding Sayrah's accusatory gaze. She stood and strode to the doors in a huff. "As far as I'm concerned, this council is over."

"Wait." Odin called. "We might have found him."

She paused, slowly turning to face him. "How is that possible?"

"Heimdall reports that an unusual disturbance of energy has been located on Midgard. A place called S.H.I.E.L.D. It is possible that Loki could have activated the Tessaract, unwittingly sending a signal of his current position. Or perhaps knowingly."

"The Tessaract? How in Valhalla could he get that?" Balder gasped.

"I don't know." admitted Odin. "But somehow, somewhere, my son is out there, and I want to bring him back. Safe and sound…. and alive."

"For what? So he can be locked up and never be able to do anything? So he can live here knowing that he will never be important enough to you?" Sayrah snapped.

Odin looked calmly at her despite her harsh stare. "Whether of Jotun origin or not, Loki will _always_ be my son. I love him as much as I do Thor. When he returns, I promise that he will be treated with the utmost respect and honor. We shall hold a celebration upon his safe return."

"You give your word as the All- Father not to harm him?" she challenged.

"I do."

Sayrah smirked and crossed her arms, satisfied.

"That is joyous news, but how are we supposed to get to him back, father?" Thor asked.

"I have given that part a great deal of consideration. It would take too much of the Odinforce to bring him back, and even then, it is too risky. With the Bifrost destroyed, travel between worlds is impossible. The only way I can think of to bring him abck is…. the Infinity Gauntlet." Odin regarded the Aesir's reactions gravely.

"But wouldn't that take a lot of power?" Balder asked, after a long silence.

"I am prepared to use the Odinforce to charge the Gauntlet. Thor, I ask you to go to Midgard in my stead. Retrieve the Tessaract and bring Loki back. Do whatever it takes to bring him home. With us."

Thor nodded his assent solemnly. "I will, Father."

"Now it will take at least a day for the gauntlet to generate the energy. Until then, we all should get some rest. This council is over." Odin waved his hand, dismissing the gathered Aesir. Sif and the Warriors Three gathered around Thor, patting him on the back and murmuring under their breath. Balder conferred with Odin while Frigga stood behind him, looking grief- stricken. Sayrah gave the scene one last glance and swept out the door.

* * *

A knock at her door roused her from sleep. Sayrah rubbed her eyes and flicked a finger at the candles by her bedside, lighting them. "Enter."

Thor stepped into her room. "Lady Sayrah, I am sorry to trouble you at this hour."

"What do you want, Thor?"

"I- I wanted to ask how you knew of Loki's, uh, origins. How did you know Odin told him?"

She sat up, swinging her legs around to face him and motioned for him to sit. "After he confronted Odin, he came to me. He confided in me."

"You must be his closest friend then. What did you say to him?"

"I told him that it did not matter. I- er- we would still love him. But he didn't seem to be listening. He was already planning his something. The overthrow of the throne, I guess."

"Did you know about it?"

"Honestly? Yes."

Thor glared at her. "Then why didn't you tell the All-Father?"

"He was already in the Odinsleep, and Frigga was too distracted."

"You should have told someone else. Heimdall, or Balder, or someone!" Thor's voice raised dangerously.

"I didn't ask for you to come here and give me a lecture!" she shouted. He flinched away. "And besides, I don't blame him." she continued. "It was the only way he could cope. He wanted to feel like he belonged. Loved, even."

"But I love him more than anything." Thor said, hurt.

Sayrah looked down at her lap.

"I know." '_I do too.'_ she thought. A moment of silence passed between them. "So, why are you here, really?" she asked. "I know this isn't just about his origin story."

"I just wanted to let you know that I will promise to bring him back. I know how much you care for him. It will be like old times, you'll see. The three of us, together."

She gave him a tight smile. "Thank you. I know you will."

He stood and bowed. "Goodnight, m'lady."

"Good night." She nodded as he left and extinguished the candles, falling back onto the bed and into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thor tugged at his brother's bonds, checking once again to make certain that they would stay. "I loathe seeing you like this, brother, but it is for this realm's own good that you are restrained. When I think of all the harm you caused these peaceful people…." He shuddered. "Just wait until we get back to Asgard."

"Thor!" called a voice from behind him. He turned to face Eric Selvig, who placed a casket into his hands. "I think I've finally got it. See these two handles? If you turn them, the Tessaract should generate enough energy to send the two of you back to Asgard."

"That is excellent, Selvig. The other Avengers should be here shortly." He stared at the casket, wondering what his father will say about Loki's actions. He was quiet for a long while when Eric interrupted.

"Are you thinking about her?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, Jane? Yes. Yes I am."

"She misses you, Thor. She talked about you every day. You should stop by. Visit."

"No." Thor sighed and looked up to the sky. "I can't my responsibility is toward Asgard, and bringing Loki to justice." Loki grumbled with disdain, but quieted after Thor shot him a threatening glance.

"That's right." said a voice. Tony Stark and the rest of the team Thor had gotten to know so well stood behind them. "But we will send her a postcard if you like."

Thor smiled and motioned everyone forward. Bruce stepped up and opened the case containing the Tessaract. He handed it to Eric and carefully, slowly, transferred the cube to the casket. This was it. It was time to go home. Thor nodded to Loki and pulled the handle.

The Tessaract burst with light, enveloping the group. When it subsided, Thor and Loki were gone. The Avengers shared significant glances and parted, each going their separate ways, somehow knowing that they would meet again, sooner than they expected.

* * *

Thor and Loki landed with a jolt onto the Bifrost. Heimdall glanced over them with indifference. "Welcome back." was all he said.

Loki glared at him and turned to Thor. "Mmmph."

"No, brother. I am keeping you securely restrained until I have brought you to the All- Father." He took hold of the chains around Loki's hands and led him over the Bifrost to the gates of Asgard.

* * *

It was Sayrah who first saw them. She kept a vigil, gazing out her window overlooking the kingdom's courtyard ever since Thor left. And when she glimpsed those familiar figures walking toward the palace, her heart leapt to her throat. "They're back. They're back." she whispered and rushed to tell Odin. "They're back!" she shouted as she burst into the Hall. Odin and Balder turned to stare at her. She flushed, embarrassed. "The princes have returned."

Odin smiled benignly. "Thank you Lady Sayrah." He turned to Balder. "Inform the rest of the Aesir at once. My sons are home!"

"Yes, my king." He ran off to do as Odin said.

Soon, other gods, goddesses, and residents of Asgard started to fill up the Hall of Odin. An excited murmur rose from the crowd as Odin rose and turned toward the open doors. Frigga stood at his right hand, beaming from ear to ear. The Warriors Three, Sif, and Sigyn stood to one side, waiting to greet their friend as soon as he walked in. Thor strode through the door first. Everyone cheered wildly when they saw him, thrilled to see him safe and sound. Their savior, their Golden Boy had returned. Sayrah smiled in spite of herself. She had to admit it was a relief to see him. Thor held a straight face, walking right past his friends and adorers without a second glance. In his hands, he held the Tessaract's casket and the chains that bound Loki, who trailed behind him, resentment and bitterness in his eyes. Sayrah gasped. No, this was all wrong. Why was he locked up? The crowd hushed as they realized what was going on. Odin frowned in confusion as Thor stopped before him, roughly pushing Loki forward.

"Father, I have returned from Midgard, with my brother, and the Tessaract." Thor raised the casket. "Some mortals crafted this case for it. This should keep it safe from harm." He placed it into a nearby servant's arms. "Take this to the armory."

The servant nodded and hurried off.

"As for Loki…" He gave Odin a grim look. "His situation was worse than we expected. He created an army to invade Midgard and try to take it as his own, as ruler. He caused irreparable damage and chaos. I had to help this group of rather extraordinary mortals in order to bring him down. This was beyond his usual mischievous pranks. This was an act of pure evil."

Every gaze was fixed on Loki. Sayrah tried to get a better view of them by standing on her toes. It didn't make any sense. Loki wouldn't do anything like that. True he had a penchant for trickery, but genocide? She thought back to the day that he fell from the Bifrost. He tried to do something similar then, but he wasn't thinking straight. This time he had control of his mind, right?

"Is this true?" Odin glared down at Loki from the throne. "This certainly is troubling. What reason do you have to do such things, son?"

Loki's eyes grew wide and his face twisted with anger as he tried to shout something, but it came out muffled. Sayrah took a closer look and saw that he had what looked like a metal muzzle over his mouth. Rage boiled inside her. How dare Thor do that to his own brother!

"I cannot fathom why you acted this way. If Thor's words ring true, there must be punishment for your actions. Extreme punishment. Banishment has obviously not worked in the past…" Odin mused.

Loki struggled against his bonds in an effort to protest. Thor grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"WAIT!" Sayrah shouted. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "No! Remember what you said before they returned. You promised." She stared Odin down, not daring to look at Loki. "You gave your word, Odin."

He hesitated.

"But Father, surely-" Balder began, but Odin cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It is true. But I cannot allow for evil to go unpunished. I propose this compromise: we shall hold a celebratory event for my son's return, and I will honor him as a Prince of Asgard, but he will be placed under heavy surveillance, as well as have restraints placed upon him to prevent him from using his magic. After the celebration, he will be imprisoned until further decisions are made."

"What?! Until further decisions have been made? What does that even-" she sputtered.

"I have given my orders, and you will follow them, Sayrah." Odin threatened. "Do we have an agreement, everyone?"

The Asgardians mumbled their consent. Loki stared at Sayrah with quiet interest. She was quite the con, getting Odin to give his word so easily.

"Sayrah?" Odin asked.

"Fine. Yes, my lord."

"Then it is decided. Thor, take Loki to one of the cells. Prepare for a feast, my fellow Asgardians. Tonight, we celebrate the return of my sons."


	3. Chapter 3

Loki glowered at the wall in his cell. How did he end up here so quickly? Just a short while ago, he was within reach of Midgardian conquest. Now he was sitting in a cell, waiting for someone to escort him to his "party". If stupid Thor hadn't intervened…

Still, he thought, it could be worse if Sayrah hadn't intervened. Now that was something to ponder. Why did she do that? Why would she risk Odin's wrath just to save his sorry skin? Yes, she was as close as a friend as he could get, but that bond wasn't worth it. Perhaps she owed him a debt that he could not remember? He nodded to himself. That was probably it. But, a little part of his mind asked if maybe there was something more to her protection of him. "_No matter. She will despise me soon enough, once word spreads about Thanos." _Thanos. He shuddered to himself. He must be angry, no, furious with him for failing. The torture he will have in store…. "_Can it be worse than before? There are only so many ways to hurt a broken man." _No, it was best not to think of such things. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cold stone, wishing that he could forget the few days he spent in Thanos' company. He could, if he didn't have these damned bracelets on to drain his magic. Maybe he could make his guard take them off. His head snapped up as the door opened, casting light into the dim cell.

"Brother! It's time."

Loki groaned inwardly. Of course it had to be Thor.

* * *

Laughter and music filled the Great Hall. The smell of roast meat and sweet ale permeated the air. It would have been enjoyable if it didn't feel so forced. People smiled and exchanged greetings with him as he walked by. Of course, he could see the resentment and hatred simmering below the surface of their shallow expressions. Loki grinned and waved and chatted with them, appearing to be completely at ease. He laughed and shook hands and was the perfect guest of honor. Not one mentioned his absence or his actions on Midgard.

"My husband. You have returned." A voice said timidly. He turned to see a bashful Sigyn standing there wearing a rather plain gown. He had forgotten about her. His wife. The woman whose hand he worked so hard to win. After seeing her for the first time he began to wonder why he ever took interest in her. She certainly was still beautiful, but that was it. Was that all he saw in her? He cursed his youthful foolishness.

"Loki?"

He shook his head slightly. "Yes, I have. And I am delighted to see you, my dear. Shall we, ah, dance?"

He took her hand and moved toward the middle of the room. The other dancers cleared the way for them. Sigyn looked down at her feet the entire time. She was still disgusted by him. He gritted his teeth and glanced around the room, slowly twirling her around and around. Servants milled throughout the crowd refilling mugs of ale and offering third helpings to the hungry Aesir, mainly meaning Volstagg. Thor and Sif were swapping stories. Hogun, ever the party animal, sat nearby, downing pint after pint of mead. Fandral flirted with Freya, who laughed and tossed her hair and exchanged meaningful looks with Tyr across the room. Other Aesir and Asgardians wandered about, some dancing, some talking. Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. This place never changed.

Sayrah stepped into the room, hoping to slip silently into the crowd and not attract attention. She always felt uncomfortable at these things.

Loki's breath caught as soon as he laid eyes on her. Sayrah stood in the doorway, dressed in finery he had never seen her wear before. He didn't even know she owned a gown. She looked beautiful. Other men apparently thought so too. Conversations dropped to a whisper as she walked by, eyes lingered a bit too long. Loki noticed Freya and some handmaidens of Frigga's throwing her dirty looks. They were envious, and rightly so.

He abruptly let go of Sigyn and walked toward Sayrah. She was chatting politely with Skadi, but looked up when he approached. Of course. Skadi was her best friend, even if she was as annoying as Thor and Balder combined.

"My Prince." Sayrah smiled, a calm look on her face, as if nothing happened earlier.

"Lady Sayrah." He gave the two of them a small bow. "How are you?"

"I am gladdened by your return, your highness." Sayrah replied graciously. Skadi grimaced at him, her dislike painted clearly across her face.

"Might I ask your hand for a dance?" he asked Sayrah, ignoring the small choking sound Skadi made in reply.

"I would be honored."

He offered his hand. She took it and led him to the dance floor. He placed his hands on her waist and started sway slowly in time to the music. Sayrah blushed bright red and seemed to have trouble meeting his gaze.

"Relax." He smiled at her, trying to put her at ease. "You're not that bad of a dancer."

She grinned at him. "Oh really?"

She quickly changed her pace, stepping faster and wilder. Loki grinned back once he realized what she was doing. She was dancing the dance they made up when they were young. He remembered lying in the middle of the palace courtyard with her and Thor, fantasizing about the many battles they would fight in together. The three of them created a type of victory dance they decided to do after they defeated a foe. It was silly, really. He had long forgotten it until now. The thought of it made him chuckle as he kept up, adding little flourishes here and there. Thor recognized the dance and caught his eye, giving him a thumbs up as they passed. Sayrah let out an uncharacteristic giggle, surprising him. It sounded happy and completely unlike her at all. He liked it.

Just as he dipped her, he felt a tap on the shoulder. "Loki."

He straightened up and looked to see Balder staring impatiently at him. He let go of Sayrah and turned to properly face him.

"What?" he snapped. Balder frowned and gestured to Odin.

"Odin doesn't like the way you're behaving. You've already embarrassed yourself and the family's name way too much recently. I don't think you should be striking up a relationship this early. At least wait a bit before going off with every female you see. You're worse than Fandral." he whispered angrily.

Loki stared at him, outraged. "Are you jesting, Balder? I sincerely hope you are, because I am in a fair mood right now and you don't want to take that away, now do you? Odin isn't even paying attention to this stupid celebration. And my actions have nothing to do with you or him. You are just bitter that the only woman who wants to dance with you is Skadi. Now get out of my face and go snivel in a corner, or whatever you do when you don't get your way."

Balder gasped. "How dare you, you arrogant, self- serving, lying little-"

"Ah, do you want to get some fresh air, my liege?" Sayrah interrupted before Balder could finish his insult.

"Yes, please. Some fresh air would do me well, Lady Sayrah. If you'll excuse us, Balder." He glared at him scathingly and followed Sayrah out of the Hall.

Balder sighed, shaking his head. "He will get us all killed one day." he muttered.

* * *

Loki slammed the balcony door behind him, seething with anger. How dare Balder say such nonsense. Odin couldn't care less about him, and how he spent his time back on Asgard. And besides, he wasn't flirting. Was he? He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

Sayrah placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

"Planned your revenge yet?"

He smiled. "No. It's not worth it, and I need magic to do whatever I plan anyway." He looked down at his wrists. "You wouldn't mind….."

"Don't even think about it. You already used your get out of trouble free pass from me. I can't risk Odin's wrath twice in one day. And I believe the phrase is _'Thank you, Sayrah. You're the greatest.'_ "

"Thank you." He laughed. "I owe you."

She smiled and rested her hands on the edge of the balcony. "I'm glad you're back. Even if you don't want to be."

"I don't exactly not want to be here."

She braced herself for what she was going to say next. "Loki, can I ask you something?"

He knew what she was going to ask. Why did he do it? What happened? Why did he leave in the first place? Why did he let go? He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to worry her. So instead, he decided to distract her.

"You look pretty." he interrupted, before she could ask. "You look like an actual girl."

She shook her head a bit, thrown off, but recovered quickly. "You said woman inside." she countered.

It was just like her to do that. She always saw through his words. "Did I? Well I meant it."

"I specially created this gown." she continued. "Gave the idea to a mortal stylist. Too bad she lived in New York." She glanced slyly at him. "Probably would have been a hit if it weren't for an alien army crushing her and her store."

"How-?"

"I spoke with Heimdall. Every day since the day you left. The moment he spied you, he told me first." she admitted.

"Really?"

She nodded. "And he told me everything you did. Every horrid detail. Every life lost. And I didn't believe him, but when Thor confirmed it…. Loki, why?"

He shook his head, defeated. It had to come down to this. "There obviously had to be some casualties. It was a war, after all."

"What were you trying to prove? The Midgardians did nothing wrong." Her voice raised a bit, betraying her hurt. "You don't have to prove yourself."

"I had to. You wouldn't understand."

"I do understand. I know you, Loki. You were being stupid and foolish and weren't thinking of anyone but yourself."

"I WAS THINKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE!" he shouted. "I THOUGHT ABOUT EVERYONE. THE ENTIRE TIME. I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR?!"

Sayrah turned away. "No. The old Loki wouldn't speak like that. You're different somehow. Tell me what happened after you fell off the Bifrost. Before you went to Midgard. I know there was time between them. What happened then, Loki? Tell me."

"No. I can't."

"YES YOU CAN!" she cried. "I want to know."

Loki sighed. Had she always been this infuriating? "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"No you're not."

"Please drop it. I promise I will tell you when the time comes."

"Your promises mean nothing." she retorted.

"Only to the ones who can't see past my lies. This isn't a lie."

She searched his face, as if looking for something. "Okay." she finally said. "I'll hold you to it."

"I know you will." He stood next to her, almost wishing he could take back everything he said. Almost.

After awhile Sayrah broke the long silence that passed between them. "I've got something for you. A bit of a welcome home present." He watched as she closed her eyes and reached into the night air, bending and twisting and shaping nothing at all with her hands. Her beautiful, delicate hands.

_"No, Loki. Don't think like that." _he chided himself.

When she opened her eyes, a miniature stallion with eight legs lay curled in her hands."Here. I've been taking care of him, but he misses his mommy. Perhaps you should visit him next."

"Oh, is this a guilt trip now?"

She put the little version of Sleipnir on the balcony and smiled up at him. "It might be."

It would be so easy to kiss her right now, a little voice in his head chirped. "_You're almost there!" _it said. He realized that he was leaning closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She reached up and entangled her fingers in his hair.

"I- I…" he faltered.

"BROTHER! I HEARD SHOUTING! I SWEAR TO HEL, IF YOU ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE….." Thor burst through the balcony door, raging. They let go of each other and backed away quickly. Sayrah blushed and looked at her feet.

"As ever Thor, your timing never ceases to amaze me." Loki grumbled. "What does the All- Father want now? Am I to be put back in my cage?"

"Um, well, he- uh…" Thor stammered, having just realized what he interrupted.

"It's alright Thor, you may take him." Sayrah said. "It's way past his bedtime anyway." She took Loki's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'll see you." The balcony door squeaked shut behind her, leaving the brothers alone.

"Sayrah is your friend, brother." Thor said quietly.

"Yeah, she is. Just a friend and nothing more." Loki whispered as he watched the tiny horse prance about the balcony ledge.


	4. Chapter 4

That night, after the party had ended, Odin called a meeting of the wisest and closest people he knew. He surveyed the small room with trepidation. He told himself that he could trust these people, that his fears would not be unfounded. Heimdall sat at his right hand, despite the great risk of being away from the Bifrost. "_It's worth it, though." _Odin told himself. Thor, Balder, and Mimir were also in attendance. His faithful raven companions, Munnin and Huginn perched in the rafters, overseeing the meeting with sharp, beady eyes. It was time to begin. "I'm glad each of you could make it tonight. This private meeting is to discuss the recent changes happening to Asgard, most importantly, Loki's return. Thor, why don't you start by describing what occurred on Midgard?"

"Well, when I first found Loki, he was running from a group of mortals calling themselves S.H.I.E.L.D. He was seemingly easily captured by them, but that was part of his plan. He wanted to divide the team I worked alongside with in order to effectively infiltrate Midgard with his army. I think he called them 'Chitauri'. He was unsuccessful in his endeavors. I do not believe that he would have been so sloppy if he planned this attack himself."

"You're saying that Loki did not work alone?" Mimir asked.

"Yes. He must have gotten the army from someone, probably in return for the Tessaract. When… when we fought each other, his eyes changed. From blue to their normal green. Loki is extremely skilled in magic alteration, but he couldn't have done that to himself. There was no need. He didn't quite seem himself the entire time. Someone else, maybe the one he worked for, changed him. He has looked troubled from the moment I brought him back to Asgard."

"He shouldn't be troubled. He's been in the company of Sayrah. There's something going on between the two!" Balder grunted.

"Are you jealous brother Balder?" Thor teased.

"What? No! Absolutely not! I think we should have punished him even more. Not just a simple jailing!"

"You're just harboring a grudge." Thor countered.

"Whatever. We still should have issued a harsher punishment. Not only for the things he'd done on Midgard, but for all of his past crimes."

"If what Thor says is true about Loki gaining outside help, then we have a bigger matter to consider. Chitauri haven't been active in years." Mimir spoke up. "They must have had a leader…"

"I mentioned that whenever I tried to discern Loki's location, there was a sort of curtain shrouding him from my gaze. Between you and I, there's only one being powerful enough to do so." Heimdall said slowly and gave Odin a meaningful look.

"That may not be too far from the truth. When Loki disappeared, he could have ended up in the Chitauri home world, where… he… was last was reported to be sighted." Odin mused.

"I suppose we can't rule it out until we're certain." answered Heimdall.

"Who father? Who can't we rule out?"

Odin drew a deep breath. "Although I fear the consequences if we are right, we think that Loki might have been controlled by-"

* * *

"Thanos! Sir, we have confirmed that the Asgardian Prince is back in his home world. He failed to secure the Tessaract with the Chitauri army on Earth."

Thanos glanced at the Other. "Where is it now?"

"In Asgard, sir, in the armory. As well as the Infinity Gauntlet."

"Good."

"What do you intend to do, sir?"

Thanos paused, thoughtful. "While the little Princeling was in our… care… did he have any prominent memories? Perhaps of his childhood? Ones he loved?"

"Ah, there was one, sir." the Other replied. "Just one in particular who kept showing up."

"Oh, yes. I remember now." He turned to face the shady sky and looked up. "We will need that one. It will require stealth. Gather a team to secure the one and provide them with protection from the Gazer. And. Do. Not. Fail."

"Of course, sir." The Other bowed and hurried away.

A cruel smile crept across Thanos' face. "Perhaps I can entertain my fickle Lady with the death of an immortal."


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't know, Sayrah." Skaldi sighed. "I just think that you're spending too much time with him."

"What I do in my spare time is none of your concern." Sayrah scolded. "What are you doing in my room anyway?"

Skaldi rearranged her legs to sit up on Sayrah's bed. "I wanted to see you before you ran off again. The other Aesir are starting to talk, you know."

"Let them talk." Sayrah picked up a stray book and stuffed it into her bag. "As far as he's concerned, we're nothing more than friends." she muttered under her breath.

"He shouldn't be allowed that much freedom if you ask me."

"Well no one did."

Skaldi pulled an offended face. "If it were up to me, he would be chained up. Perhaps to a rock, with a snake dripping venom into his eyes."

Sayrah spun around to face her friend. "Skaldi! That's horrendous! How could you even dream of doing that to anyone, let alone Loki?!"

"That's just how I feel, that's all!" she fell silent for a moment. Sayrah kept putting things in her bag, angry with her friend for not supporting her.

"And I don't see how you can be attracted to such an ugly troll!" Skaldi complained. "He's not a real man. He's nothing compared to Balder!"

"Oh here, we go!" Sayrah rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that Balder is a pretentious brute?"

"You're just jealous that I saw him first!"

"Ugh. I don't have the patience for this." Sayrah groaned. "I see you later." She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room.

"I'm just trying to warn you!" Skaldi called after her.

* * *

Sayrah glanced over her shoulder as she hurried through the palace halls. She knew that she had to be more careful when she went to visit Loki, but every time they were apart, she longed to be in his company. And since he couldn't (and probably wouldn't) come to her, she would go to him. She snuck away from her mother's watchful eye and met him every day for the past few months. Time had made her reckless, and the day Skadi found out was the day all of Asgard found out. She tried denying it, shortened her visits, even not showing up altogether, but it didn't last long. Sayrah just got sneakier.

So focused on making sure she wasn't followed, Sayrah lost her footing and collided into someone going the opposite way.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry!" she cried, helping Sayrah to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine- Wait- Sigyn?"

"Sayrah? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I- uh, seemed to- ah-" she tried to think of a plausible excuse.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?"

"What makes you think that?" Sayrah replied, trying to act nonchalant.

"Oh, please. You can't fool me. I've heard the whispers and rumors. And I can see the look in your eye."

"Excuse me?"

"The mortals he used to woo long ago had the same look of excitement and trust. In the end, it all turned out the same."

"I- I don't understand."

"I guess at first I was angry with him, but as the years went on and the number of affairs increased, I grew number and number." Sigyn continued with a sigh.

"We're not having an affair." Sayrah protested. "Why are you telling me this, anyway?"

"You're a bright girl, Sayrah. I don't want to see you hurt because of him. I don't want you to end up like me. Loki is a terrible man, and always will be."

"Are you jesting? You don't want to see me end up like you? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to. You are ashamed of him. You don't love him. You want nothing to do with him. How dare you accuse me of being similar to you! I will never end up like you!" Sayrah shouted, infuriated.

"I only wanted to warn-"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF PEOPLE WARNING AND TALKING ABOUT ME! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, IT'S MY LIFE, IT'S MY BUSINESS, SO BUTT OUT. I DO WHAT I WANT!"

Sigyn cringed. "Maybe you two are a good match. Nonetheless, affairs usually tend to end in heartbreak."

"WE'RE NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR!" She marched away from Sigyn with a set look on her face. Sigyn watched her leave, anger boiling inside her. Sayrah's harsh words sparked something inside her. She was Loki's wife. He will be tied to her no matter what. And yes, years of being with him made her fonder and fonder of him. She even loved him. How dare Sayrah say that she is a cowardly wife, ashamed of her own husband. How dare she try and come between them. How dare she.

* * *

"Hey, I'm here." Sayrah called softly, peering through the bars of the prison. "Loki?"

He stirred from his resting place in the corner and smiled over at her. "How'd you get past this time?" he asked.

"Oh, didn't you hear? I learned a new spell that happens to distracts palace guards for a short while. Odd how that happens to be so useful, huh?"

"Odd indeed." he chuckled. She grinned at him.

"Here are the books you wanted. I don't see why you need them. You still can't do magic." She passed them through the bars.

"Oh I have my reasons." Loki looked down at them. "These will do wonderfully, thank you."

Sayrah leaned against the wall next to the cell. It was quiet for while before she spoke up again. "Loki?"

"Mmm?"

"I, uh, met Sigyn on the way here."

He tensed. "What did she have to say?"

"Oh, just nonsense about the petty rumors going around and she talked about the past and such."

"I see. Is it bothering you?"

"Oh, no, no, it's nothing to me. It's your business who you partner with. I should be used to it by now, I guess."

"Partner with? What does even mean?" he laughed.

"I mean affairs, Loki. How many affairs have you had? I know it's not my place to ask, but I know there were some."

The laughter faded away. "That's not important right now, Sayrah. Do I really have to bring up the subject of Ragnar again?"

"Don't you say a word! That was ages ago! And a one-time thing."

"Well the same goes for me. It's all in the past now."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say." she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just forget I asked."

Silence fell again. She closed her eyes and tried to push the thought of Sigyn out of her head. Flashes of inspiration darted through her mind, so she distracted herself by sending out bits of it into Midgard. Her mind's eye focused on a little group struggling to write a script for a new play. She wasn't the goddess of creativity for nothing. She put ideas into their heads, enjoying the gratitude on their faces when suddenly a jolt of electricity buzzed through her mind, severing the connection. Her eyes flew open as she cried out.

"What? What's wrong?" Loki grasped the bars trying to reach her. "Are you okay?"

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"There was a kind of disturbance, a shock and I lost contact with the mortals."

"I didn't feel anything, sorry." he replied, but glanced around the room nervously. He looked terrified."I thought they haven't come yet. They can't. I need more time." he whispered.

"Who? Are you talking about the Chitauri? Loki, where did you end up when you left? What's so terrible that you can't tell me? You can tell me everything, you know that. Don't you trust me?"

He was visibly shaken. "Why are you asking me this now?"

"Because I worry for you, Loki. You look awful, no offense. I can tell you haven't been sleeping. I should have asked weeks ago."

He searched her face to see if she was sincere. She was. Loki took a deep breath and stared at the wall, his voice became detached and emotionless. "After I fell from the Bifrost, I wandered aimlessly, passing in and out of consciousness. It seemed like eons went by. I finally awoke for good on the Chitauri home world."

"I thought they were gone. Inactive." Sayrah interrupted.

"So did I. But they weren't. Someone had brought them back. Someone I, or even Odin, never expected to see again."

"Who?"

He shook his head. "It was Hel, being there with them. No, it was worse than Hel. I had never known fear like that. They took my already wounded mind and twisted it. I became convinced that the Tessaract could redeem me. He told me that if I failed, I would be tortured. I was tortured anyway. I wanted so desperately to escape. Eventually my thirst for revenge consumed me. I was so bitter; it was easy for him to manipulate my mind. He gave me power. More power than I ever dreamed of. The plan to invade Midgard was his idea, not mine. I wanted to use my newfound power to conquer Asgard once more. But I did it anyway. Now that I'm back, now that I'm here, I cannot stop obsessing over his promise to take his vengeance if I failed. And I did. I failed." He buried his face in his hands. "Sayrah, I am scared."

She looked at him through tearful eyes, heart breaking. "I'm so sorry. If only I knew. I would have come to your aid." Her hands slipped through the prison bars to squeeze his arm gently, reassuringly.

"No. I'm glad you didn't. They would have hurt you too, and that's something I do not want. Ever."

Sayrah let everything he said sink in. "Who was it?" she asked quietly.

"I don't want to say."

"Please."

He hesitated. "Thanos. It was Thanos."

She gasped and drew away from the cell. "You were working for Thanos? Loki, that is- I can't even- Oh Hel, How could you?"

"I told you. They got into my mind, Sayrah. You can't even begin to imagine the horrors I faced." He looked terrified, ashamed for telling her. "Sayrah, please look at me. You are the only person in Asgard right now who looks upon me with something other than hatred. Please don't turn away from me now."

Silent tears streamed down his face. It hurt her to see him like this. She might be the only person that he has ever shown true emotion to. It was her duty as a friend to stand by him. How could she not? She loved him.

"I understand. They would have killed you if you didn't comply. I don't think I could deal with that." She stretched her hand through the bars of the cell and took his. He smiled sadly at her.

"If I ever felt anything, it might be towards you."

She laughed through her tears. "Don't say that. You aren't emotionless. You just spilled your guts to me."

He pulled her closer to the cell door and placed her hand on his cheek. Warmth spread throughout her.

"Loki, promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Never leave me with these imbeciles again."

* * *

Feeling emotionally drained, Sayrah drudged slowly back to her room. She had a lot to think about. Her mind was so distracted; she didn't notice the shadows moving just out of her sight. When she got to her room, she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face into the pillows. Her feelings for Loki swirled around in her head. She was about to fall asleep when a shuffling sound echoed out, startling her awake. Reacting before she could even think, fire shot out through her fingertips, blasting in the direction of the sound. She quickly got up and inspected the damage. She missed.

"Damn."

Another slight sound came from behind her. She whirled around and blasted again. A little scream signaled that she hadn't missed this time. She smirked and sauntered over to the thing she hit.

"Clever. Trying to sneak up on me when I'm vulnerable." She knelt next to the thing to get a closer look at it. It was a Chitauri body. Confusion registered on her face. "What the-?"

She was cut off by a hand slapping over her mouth and her arms being pinned to her side. She struggled against her captors, kicking and wriggling to force them to loosen their grip. Magic energy coursed through her body and sparked on her skin, causing the person holding her to cry out in pain and release her. Sayrah turned on her attackers. Magic crackled across her fingers, her eyes wild with fear and anger. She reached for her sword. They chattered something in their native tongue and pointed their weapons at her. An arc of light curled from them and struck her full force. She collapsed in pain and lost consciousness. The Chitauri hoisted her over their shoulders and stole off into the night, leaving no trace of their visit or their fight.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Skadi woke up early to visit Sayrah. She had been too aggressive yesterday. She should have known Sayrah would react like that. Sayrah always was inclined to be quick to anger and to pick a fight. _"This time I'll be ready."_ Skadi thought. _"She can't argue with reason."_ She knocked on Sayrah's door. "Hello, Sayrah? Wake up. I want to talk to you."

There was no response. "Sayrah!" She put her ear to the door. "Sayrah, open the door, this isn't funny." She strained to hear anything behind the door, but still there was only silence.

"Sayrah! I've warned you! If you don't open up, I will do it for you!" She glanced around, looking for something to open the door with.

"Skadi? What are you doing here so early?" asked someone from behind her. Skadi looked over to see Balder standing there. She immediately straightened up and smoothed her hair.

"Oh, hi Balder." Skaldi giggled, slipping into flirt mode. "I just wanted to talk to Sayrah about something. Girl stuff, you know."

Balder turned crimson. "Oh. Yeah. I, uh, understand."

"Soooo, What about you? Why are you here? Sayrah didn't do anything, did she?" Skadi asked worriedly.

"Not yet. Odin wanted to see her for interrogation. She might be able to give us information that Loki is not telling us."

"Good luck with that. She would never say a single word against that monster. And besides, she's not answering. I tried knocking and everything."

He frowned at the door. "Strange."

"Sayrah, if you can hear us, please open the door. Balder wants to speak to you." Skadi said loudly. After a short while, Balder grew impatient.

"Sayrah, we're coming in. Stand back from the door." Balder reared back and slammed his shoulder into the door repeatedly. When it finally gave, he stumbled into her room, Skadi right behind him.

"She's not here!" she gasped. "Sayrah!" Skadi searched the room, shoving aside pillows and blankets and books in desperation. "Balder, what happened to her?"

"I don't know. We should ask Heimdall."

"Oooh! Okay!" Any fear she had for her friends' well-being melted away. She grabbed his hand and skipped down the hallway, dragging Balder along behind her and silently thanking Sayrah for being gone. _"She's the perfect friend for setting me up on a date!"_ she thought.

* * *

"Heimdall! We need to ask you something." Balder gasped, out of breath from trying to keep up with Skaldi.

Heimdall stared at them.

"Have you seen-"

"Sayrah is not here." he interrupted. "She is not in Asgard at all."

"What? Where is she then?" Skadi asked.

"I do not know. I can't seem to find her at all."

Balder exchanged a dark look with Heimdall. "Do you think it was…?"

"Yes. I know it was."

* * *

Thor strode down the prison hallway, Mjolnir in his hand. "Loki." He called as he reached his brother's cell. "I have something to tell you."

"Is that so? Well, I have nothing to say to you. Leave me be." Loki glowered at the wall, refusing to face Thor.

"Loki." Thor's tone was dead serious. "It's about Sayrah."

Fear filled Loki's heart. He turned slowly. "What do you mean?"

"She's gone."

Loki lunged at the door. "YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed, his face contorted with rage.

"I am not jesting, brother. We searched all of Asgard. Heimdall cannot find her on any other realm."

"STOP IT! STOP IT! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! IT WON'T WORK! I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING!" He shook the bars in anger. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"You think this is a ploy to get you to talk? Perish the thought, brother. I am speaking the truth." He looked Loki straight in the eyes. "She's gone."

"No. No. I need more time. This can't be possible." Loki whispered. "They can't just take her."

"Who? Who can't take her? Loki, if you know anything that can help us find her, you have to tell us."

"Why should I? Did you put this much effort into finding me?"

"We thought you dead until the Tessaract came into play."

"I thought as much."

"Loki, I beg of you. For once in your miserable life, cooperate with us." Thor said, exasperated.

"I am perfectly capable of finding her by myself."

"NOT IN A CAGE, YOU'RE NOT!" Thor shouted. "We can help her. Just work with us."

Loki raked his fingers through his hair. "Fine. I'll play nice, just this once, but not for you. For her."

Thor unlocked the door and pulled him out of the cell.

* * *

The brothers burst through the doors of the Hall together.

"Thanos." Loki announced. "It was Thanos. He took her to get back at me." Odin, Balder, Skadi, the Warriors Three, and Sif stopped to stare at him.

Odin paled. "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious, Father Dearest? It's punishment for your interference in my plans on Midgard. He didn't get the Tessaract, and now he will take it out on me, and by further extent, you. Are you happy now? One of your own kind is suffering because of this whole family feud. How does it feel?" He had walked straight to Odin's throne and stood there, mocking him.

"How could we get her back?"

"No idea!" he replied. "That's the thing. You never can be certain with Thanos. We do what he demands, and he might kill her anyway."

"How can you be so blithe about this?!" Skadi shrieked. "She was your friend! She trusted you! And now you're acting like you don't care! I was right about you all along!"

Loki glared at her. "Who's the one speaking of Sayrah in the past tense here?"

"What do you suppose he wants, Loki?" Odin interrupted, bringing their attention back to the rest of the group.

"Me, probably."

"Then just give yourself up!" Sif exclaimed. "You would sacrifice yourself if you really cared for her. But you wouldn't, would you? You're a cowardly monster who can't feel anything."

He rounded on her. "Take that back, you mewling quim!"

Arguments exploded amongst the few gathered there, each one yelling at one another, all scared for their own lives.

"SILENCE!" shouted Odin. They quieted. "We have an unexpected visitor." He pointed to the door, where a lone Chitauri foot soldier stood. Thor addressed it.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

It held up a letter. Thor snatched it and passed it to Odin.

"It's from Thanos. He wants the Tessaract and the Infinity Gauntlet in exchange for her. He warns that if we try anything, she will not be the only Asgardian to suffer. He wants Loki, too."

Loki let out a strangled sound and hit the Chitauri soldier, knocking it flat. "I have to go. I have to save her."

"No. I've already lost you once. I won't allow for it." argued Thor.

"I don't think that's for you to decide."

"It's not for you to decide either." Odin countered. "We have to prepare for battle. It will be difficult, but if we secure aid and allies, perhaps…"

"You're willing to risk thousands of Asgardian lives just to save some silly girl?" exclaimed Sif.

"I would do that and more if it meant getting Sayrah back safely." Loki roared.

"You're a snake."

"Is that supposed to be an insult? You're getting rusty Lady Sif." They glared at each other.

"Enough, you two. Loki, I want you to lead a rescue group to the chitauri home world to get Sayrah back as quickly as possible."

"Really?" he asked, caught off guard. "You would trust me enough to allow that?"

"Not you. I place my trust in your love for Sayrah. I know you will do the right thing to save her."

Loki looked down at his feet. "I- I don't know what to say."

"Do whatever it takes to bring her back safely. In fact-" With a wave of his hand, the magic -preventing bracelets on his wrists clattered on the floor. "You'll need your full power at your disposal."

"You can't do that!" Sif protested.

"And leave him defenseless in battle? I think not." Odin leveled his stern gaze at Loki. "You be careful. Don't try anything or her life will be in danger."

"Thank you." Loki whispered, massaging his wrists.

Thor stepped forward. "I will assist you, brother."

"Me too!" voiced Skadi.

"If Thor goes, we do too." The Warriors Three moved closer to him. "And besides," Fandral added. "I can't just leave a beauty like Sayrah in danger."

Loki gave him his best death look.

"Er, never mind, then."

"You must leave quickly." Odin stated. "I wish you luck."

"Thank you Father." Thor bowed and ushered the rest out of the Hall. "Loki, do you even have a plan?" he asked his brother.

Loki glanced at him. A malicious smile slowly crossed his face. "Thor, get the others ready. It's time to have my vengeance on Thanos."


	7. Chapter 7

Sayrah awoke in a dimly lit jail cell. "Where- where am I?" she slurred, still drowsy from unconsciousness. "Is anyone else here? Hello?"

She tried moving her hands, but they were tied together. She closed her eyes and tried to connect to the mortal realm. Blurry images clouded her head, as if someone put an ill- fitting blindfold over her mind's eye. "_Okay, that's not going to work. New plan." _She focused on moving her magic energy to her hands, trying to build up the strength to break her bonds.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." chided a voice. A shock electrified her body, similar to the one she felt when she was talking to Loki. She cried out in pain.

"I told you."

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" she growled.

"In time." The voice responded. "He wants you properly rested before he breaks you."

"Who does? I swear, when I get out of here…"

"I'm sure you teach us all the error of our ways with your combat prowess." the voice mocked.

"They'll come looking for me, you know."

"We know. We're counting on it."

Sayrah rolled her eyes. "Using a hostage as bait? Please, I thought of it way before anyone started using it."

"Oh, you're not just bait, my dear. You will be entertainment."

"Never."

"So quick to assume the worst." It chuckled. "I promise it will be nothing sordid."

"What a relief. You had me worried for a moment there." She sensed the person smile.

"Until tomorrow, my lady Sayrah." Footsteps echoed away, and she heard the sound of a door open and close. Sayrah leaned back, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She surveyed her surroundings. It seemed like an ordinary jail cell. There were probably a million ways to escape. Problem was, she couldn't think of any. It was as if all of her creative thoughts and inspirational ideas were blocked from her head.

"Damn magic dampeners." she muttered. After just sitting there for awhile, she realized just how vulnerable she really was. She didn't have a weapon, she couldn't use magic, she couldn't make any contact with anyone else…. She was essentially trapped, and she didn't like it. A wave of desperation washed over her. _"Please someone help me." _she thought. "_Loki, Skadi, anyone. Help me."_

* * *

"Follow me. I know how we can get to Thanos without too much notice." Loki led the others to the armory.

"Why are we here, brother?" Thor complained. "We can't use the Gauntlet again. It used up too much energy when Odin used it to send me to Midgard."

"So that's how you got there. But, no, we're not using the Gauntlet. We'll use this." Loki hefted the container with the Tessaract off its pedestal.

Skadi gasped. "We can't use that! What if Thanos gets a hold of it?"

"Not to mention the trouble you will get in with Odin." Hogun pointed out.

"Any means necessary." Loki grimaced. "Right then, every one hold tight."

"We don't know where the home world is." Volstagg said.

"I do." Loki whispered.

Thor stared at his brother, wondering just what happened to him.

"Come on, we haven't got all day."

They all placed a hand on the casket. Loki turned the handle, whisking them from Asgard and through space until they landed on solid ground. Skadi stumbled over, trying to regain her balance.

"I never want to do that again!" she complained.

Loki smiled. "Then you can make we don't have to by guarding it." He shoved the casket into her arms.

"Wait- what?" she spluttered. "I can't guard this all by myself!"

"I gladly volunteer to help!" chimed Fandral.

"All four of you will help. You'll stay here and keep the Tessaract safe. I'm going in alone." Loki started to walk away.

Thor placed a hand on his shoulder. "We came for a reason. To help you get your friend back. And that's what we intend to do. Together or not at all."

"It's too dangerous." He shrugged Thor off.

"Since when did you become concerned for other people's well-being?" Skadi laughed.

Loki looked at her. "Since I realized I lost more than a friend when they took Sayrah."

She faltered. "Oh."

He turned away and continued walking. Thor and the Warriors Three exchanged glances and followed him. "Hey! Wait for me!" Skadi bounded after them, lugging the Tessaract behind her.

* * *

"They acted as you predicted, Thanos. They brought the Tessaract and the girl and everything." the Other reported.

"I know. How is our guest?"

"Resting. It took awhile, but she finally succumbed to her own exhaustion. I'm sure she'll be up and ready tomorrow."

"Good. Send one of the troops to delay the would-be rescuers. Can't have them arriving too soon."

"Yes, sir." The Other bowed out of the room, leaving Thanos alone to himself.

"No one can best me now."


	8. Chapter 8

"It's so cold! And boring! Are we even there yet? Do you know where you're going? Is anyone listening to me? Hey!" Skadi complained.

She had been complaining nonstop the entire time. It was enough to drive Loki insane. He whirled around to face her."NO ONE IS LISTENING TO YOU! SILENCE YOUR COMPLAINTS OR I WILL SEW YOUR MOUTH SHUT!"

She gaped at him. "Well you don't have to be so rude about it!"

"I'm sorry Skadi, but I must agree with Loki. It is getting tiring listening to you." Volstagg intoned.

"Not you too!"

"No more arguing!" Thor interrupted. "Everyone, just be silent. This has been tough on all of us. Perhaps we should rest somewhere for the time being."

"NO! We can't stop now! There is no time!" Loki pushed Thor out of the way and staggered past him.

"BROTHER!" He grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him back. "Listen to me! We will get her back. And that requires us to be ready for anything Thanos might throw our way. We must rest."

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO HER RIGHT NOW? THEY WILL KILL HER AND YOU WANT TO STOP?!"

"Please, stop, listen to reason, Loki!" Skadi pleaded. "Sayrah is strong. She won't give in that easily!"

He clenched his fists. "I-"

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Thor, cutting Loki off before he could defend himself. He threw his hammer past Loki's head. Mjolnir smashed into a Chitauri soldier with a loud clang.

"We're under attack! Positions everyone!" Hogun yelled.

The Warriors Three moved together and charged toward the army of oncoming soldiers. Slashing and roaring and swinging their weapons, they cut down row after row of Chitauri. Mjolnir flew back to Thor's hand in time to bash in a soldier's head. Thor smiled.

"Ah, this brings back memories, don't you agree brother?"

Loki kept an emotionless face as he lodged a knife into one of the Chitauri's back.

"Never mind."

"Stay away from me!" screeched Skadi. A group of Chitauri were slowly advancing toward her. She swung the casket containing the Tessaract carelessly. "Get back!"

"Duck!" Fandral ordered, and as she did, he swiped his sword, lopping off their heads in one fell swoop.

"Oh, thank you!" she cried. "That's why you're my second favorite man!"

"Second?"

Thor raised his hammer. Lightning streaked through the sky, striking down the few remaining soldiers. "That was almost too easy." he scoffed.

"Indeed." Hogun agreed. "This was only a distraction."

"Which is why we need to get to Thanos immediately." Loki snapped.

"We are resting here, and that is final, Loki." Thor leveled his gaze at his brother. "No objections."

"Fine." He paced angrily. "Fine. You can explain to Sayrah's corpse why we weren't there to save her in time."

"That won't happen. Trust me."

"You haven't exactly given me a good reason lately to trust you, Thor."

"Oh for Odin's sake!" exclaimed Volstagg. "Stop being an arrogant, snot- faced brat for once in your life." He started walking toward a nearby cave. "We'll rest here. I'm tired and hungry, and if you have a problem with it, you can take it up with my stomach."

Loki cringed and, not one to get between Volstagg and his appetite, followed the others with his head hung. "_Please forgive me Sayrah." _he thought sadly. _"I promise I will come for you."_

* * *

"_Stupid." _was the first thing Sayrah thought when she woke up. _"You let your guard down in enemy territory."_ she chided herself. "_You deserve to be captured."_ She glanced around, half hoping that the whole thing was only a dream. It wasn't. The same blank walls greeted her, taunting her. She sighed, wondering what Thanos had in store for her. She had decided that it must have been Thanos who had ordered her capture. Who else had an axe to grind with Loki beside every Asgardian and a few mortals? She only couldn't figure out why she wasn't dead yet.

The door to her cell opened. "Has there been a change of plans?" she asked, acting innocent.

"Silence!" the same voice from earlier commanded. "Thanos has decided to speed up the process." Two chitauri guards marched in and grabbed her arms.

"You don't have to squeeze so hard. I'm not going anywhere." she grumbled. They ignored her and marched her out of the cell and after the person the voice came from. She was escorted through hallway after hallway. They all looked exactly the same, and after awhile, her head started to lose count of how many turns they made and where she even was. "So…. You have a name?" she asked conversationally.

"I am simply known as The Other."

"Spooky."

"Hold your insolent tongue."

She stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Honestly, how old are you?"

"Only a few millennia."

They stopped in front of a wide- arched door. "Here. Let her go."

The Chitauri shoved her in and slammed the doors closed after her. Sayrah glanced around the room, taking note of possible escape routes. She quickly tried communing with Midgard, but nothing happened. Her magic was still sapped, but she could sense it around her. The drainer must have been attached to her only somehow. The room was mostly bare, save a grimy window. A glass chamber stretched along the back, almost like an observation room. There was a chair in the middle of the floor, hooked up to a deadly-looking machine.

"Ooo! Is that my seat of honor?"

The Other sneered at her and motioned for her to sit. As she did, chains sprang from the arms of the chair and wound around her wrists and ankles, forcing her to stay still. "Safety first!" she chirped brightly, keeping up her nonchalant manner despite her rapidly beating heart.

A deep laugh echoed from the corner of the room. "This one is amusing. I shall enjoy ripping the laughter from her mouth." Thanos stepped out of the shadows the dim light cast. "Hello, Lady Sayrah."

"Thanos. Nice to finally meet you in person. I think you met a friend of mine. He didn't really enjoy your company."

"A shame." Thanos replied. "I rather enjoyed his. His screams were so… invigorating."

Sayrah pulled a face. "Why don't we make this easier on you. You let me go, and no one will get hurt. At least, not fatally hurt."

"Adorable. You think you have some control over the situation. Most assuredly, you do not. I control all. I am Thanos, the Titan of Death. I-" he paused and glared at her. "I know what you're trying to do. There is no use in distracting me. No one is coming for you. Not even your precious Loki."

"Maybe so."

"Do you really think Odin would risk lives to save the likes of you, little half-mortal? He has no use for your kind, and after he deals with the Jotun, you will be the next target."

Sayrah shook her head slightly. "Uh-huh. So what does this thing do?" She nodded to the machine.

"It's simple really. I just press this button and-"

Her head snapped back in shock. Images raced through her head, streaming from every corner of Midgard. All of the mortals she had ever helped died painful, agonizing deaths, again and again. Thanos let go of the button. She slumped back into the chair, taking deep breaths. "Okay, That wasn't what I expected." she gasped.

Thanos grinned. "We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet, little one." He slammed his fist onto the button again. This time images from her childhood splintered in her mind. Her village burst into flames, consuming everything in its path. Her mother, her father, her friends.

"Stop! Stop, please!" she cried out.

"You can't beg for mercy yet, Sayrah."

She screamed louder and louder as he jabbed the device over and over.

"NOOOOOO!"

* * *

Skadi stirred in her sleep. It was near midnight. She woke from her spot on the floor of the cave they were sheltered in. The others were spread out around her, fast asleep, even Loki. She watched as he tossed and turned, dreaming of things she couldn't imagine. He had acted pretty sincere about wanting to rescue Sayrah so far. Maybe, she thought, just maybe he actually did care for her.

She frowned. That doesn't mean she had to like it though. She picked up the Tessaract and cradled it in her lap. To think that wars were fought over this silly glowing cube. It was pretty, but she didn't see what all the fuss was about. She stared at it, mesmerized. A soft sound came from the mouth of the cave. Her head snapped to attention.

"Hello?" she whispered. "Is someone there?"

No response. Skadi stood, still holding the Tessaract, and crept to the entrance of the cave, treading softly around the sleeping others. Once outside, she scanned the area. No one was in sight.

"Sayrah? Is that you?" she called softly.

A shadow dropped from the top of the cave, landing on top of her. She started to scream, but the figure hit her in the head. She passed out, still clutching the Tessaract. The figure dragged her along behind it, counting on the wind to cover its tracks.


	9. Chapter 9

Skaldi woke, her head throbbing in pain. "Where am I?" She groaned. "Oh, my head." She braced herself against the wall. Her whole body ached, and she couldn't remember what happened last night, if it even was the next morning. She closed her eyes. The others, they are going to be so mad at her for taking the Tessaract- the Tessaract! Her eyes flew open and she scrambled to the floor, searching for it. "Oh hel, oh hel, oh hel." She thought. There! A soft blue glow emanated from the corner. She reached over and pulled it closer. "It's safe. It's safe." she sighed in relief. She started to calm down, and surveyed her surroundings. There was glass encasing her and the Tessaract. Skaldi touched her fingertips to it. When she did, the Tessaract glowed brighter, illuminating the room. She gasped when she saw Sayrah, slumped over in a chair nearby.

"Sayrah?" she whispered. She didn't move. Skaldi pressed her hands against the glass. She could tell her friend was still alive, just barely though.

"Sayrah!" she shrieked. Sayrah's eyes opened, narrowed in fright. She screamed, startling Skaldi. "Sayrah! Sayrah, it's me! Your friend! Skaldi! Remember?"

"I have no friends." Sayrah rasped. "They are all dead. I killed them."

"No you didn't! You only think so because they messed with your mind!"

"They're dead! Their blood is on my hands. They will never be clean." Skaldi smacked her hands against the glass.

"Sayrah listen to me! Please stop saying these things!"

"I killed them. I did. I killed them." Sayrah mumbled over and over, almost as if she were chanting a spell.

"Sayrah! You're sick! Please listen to me!" Skaldi pleaded. "We came to save you! Me and Thor and Fandral and Hogun. Volstagg. Even Loki! Loki came to save you!"

Sayrah's head snapped in her direction. "DON'T SAY THAT NAME!"

"Okay! Okay! I won't!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're scaring me Sayrah."

"Don't worry. You don't have to listen to me anymore. I can kill you next." Sayrah thrashed in vain against her bonds.

"No!" Skaldi half cried- half screamed hysterically.

"That's enough, you two." Thanos stepped into the room. Skaldi backed away to the farthest edge of the glass prison. Sayrah fell silent, a dead look in her eyes. He addressed Skaldi first.

"It seems as if bringing you here was a good idea after all. The sight of you is shattering her mind more than I ever could imagine! I must thank you for that."

"Stay away! You can't hurt me when I have the Tessaract!"

"Oh, that's not my decision, dear. That's not my decision at all."

"What do you mean?" she asked, but he had already turned away.

"Would you like a demonstration? You see, when I press this button here…." Skaldi flinched as he lowered his hand. "Nervous? Or perhaps you don't want to see your dear friend in pain?"

"Don't hurt her, please."

"Too….Late." he smirked and laid his hand on the button. Sayrah screamed, her face contorted with confusion and pain.

"STOP! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"I am destroying her mind. Making it easier for my lady Death to take her."

"You can't!"

"I can and will." Thanos pressed the button once more.

Sayrah's tortured screams echoed through the room, entwining with Skaldi's horrified sobs and Thanos' mad laughter.

* * *

"WAKE UP, THOR YOU IDIOTIC OAF!" Loki shouted. Thor woke with a start.

"Huh? What? Why are you shouting?"

"SKALDI AND THE TESSARACT ARE GONE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?"

"Um, that's bad right?"

"I don't believe you." Loki spluttered. "OF COURSE IT'S BAD!"

"Calm down, Loki." Fandral placed a hand on his shoulder. "You of all people know that Thor doesn't function well in the morning. I'll get him a pint of mead, and then you can explain everything to him."

"We don't have time to wait for his foolish mind to work! We have to leave immediately! Once again, I was right, and you all were wrong!" he stormed out of the shelter. Fandral shrugged and helped Thor up.

"Look, you have to be in your best state today. I have a feeling that this day will end in battle." He said grimly.

"I think you might be right, my friend." Thor staggered to his feet, shaking the fog of sleep from his head. "We must leave now, I am ready." They hurried out of the cave, grouping with Volstagg, Hogun, and Loki.

"Right, then. We need a plan of attack." Thor announced. "I propose that Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and I will create a diversion. Loki will sneak into… where ever Thanos is, find the girls and the Tessaract, and get out."

"That is the stupidest plan I ever heard. He will expect it." Loki retorted.

"It's so stupid, it will work."

"Your logic is faulty, and your reasoning is insane."

"Distraction it is!" Volstagg laughed. "Let's go!"


	10. Chapter 10

"There." Loki pointed to the top of a foreboding cliff. "He wanted to be at the center of this forsaken realm."

"Kind of dramatic, don't you think?" Hogun grunted.

"But where is his dwelling?" Thor asked.

"It's hidden. I can find it, though. You might as well start your diversion now."

Thor raised Mjolnir and summoned a thunderous storm. Lightning cracked across the sky, lighting his face in a way that would make even the fiercest of enemies cower.

"THANOS!" he bellowed. "HEAR ME! WE HAVE TRAVELED TO THIS WORLD ON THE BEHALF OF ASGARD! KNOW THAT YOUR ACTIONS ARE FOOLISH, AND, IF LEFT UNADDRESSED, THEY _WILL_ PROVOKE WAR! IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO A PEACEFUL COMPROMISE, I AM PREPARED TO COMBAT YOU FOR SKADI AND SAYRAH'S SAFE RETURN!"

Silence answered his call.

"Yeah, that definitely worked." mocked Loki.

The ground rumbled beneath them, as if taking offense to his words. "Oh."

An army of Chitauri soldiers marched toward them, followed by an armored Leviathan. Thor and the Warriors Three readied their weapons.

"Go now!" He shouted to his brother. "And for the sake of all of Asgard, DON'T GET CAUGHT."

Loki smirked and nodded, speeding off in the direction of the cliff.

"Ah, now this is what I have been missing." Volstagg roared with merriment. "The four of us, fighting for our lives in a battle we cannot possibly win! Reminds me of the good old days!" He swung a massive fist, knocking out a row of Chitauri single-handedly.

"You and I, my friend, have very different definitions of 'good old days'." Hogun replied.

* * *

Loki raced through the narrow halls of Thanos' lair, sticking to the shadows. There would be terrible consequences if he was caught now. This whole quest would be a waste. He passed a hand over his face, making his form flicker in its appearance, reflecting a Chitauri's image to anyone who might glimpse him. He tried to recall the layout of this horrid place, but his mind tried desperately to banish those memories from his head. His automatic defense mechanism was to repress his memories and emotions, instead letting them simmer within and exploding when it reached dangerously levels.

Sayrah was the first person he had ever opened up to. It was back when they were children. He admitted to her his jealousy of Thor. It was some sort of special day, and Odin had paid more attention to Thor than he. Of course, now he knew why. Back then, he had cried and thrown a tantrum fit for a spoiled prince of Asgard. Sayrah listened and waited patiently during his petty monologues, always making him feel better by the end of the day. He missed those simple times.

"_Can't go back now, Loki. Forget about it."_ he told himself, passing a large, ornate door. He stopped and glanced back at it. Recognition flashed over his face. She had to in there. What better way to inflict as much pain as possible as keeping her in the same room he was kept?

He pushed the doors wide open, fading the magical glamour as he stepped in. His eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dimly lit room. The Tessaract gave a bright throb as he walked further in. _"It must remember me." _

Skadi shrieked with relief when she saw him. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! I was getting worried that no one would realize I was gone! Well, obviously you wouldn't since I had the Tessaract with me and I _was_ the only girl in the group, but still, I told myself…"

She continued to blather on, but Loki tuned her out when he laid eyes on Sayrah. She was bound in the same chair, probably tortured the same way… Her sunken eyes were closed, and she had a malnourished look about her. She looked like she'd been to hel and back. Twice.

He shook with silent rage, falling to his knees beside her. She was still breathing, still alive, still fighting. His hand reached out, hesitant to touch her.

"Sayrah?"

Her eyes flickered open, struggling to focus on his face. "Are you here to kill me now?"

"You're not making sense. Sayrah, it's me, Loki."

"But he's dead." she replied emotionlessly.

"What do you mean? I'm here, alive. Sayrah, it's me."

"Are you here to kill me now?"

Realization washed over him. She thought he was Thanos. Loki let out a deep, shuddering breath, and rested his head on her shoulder. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. She shifted in the chair to face him.

"What- what are you doing?"

He looked at her and shook his head, a sorrowful expression on his face. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she was desperately trying to place his face. Her head hurt with the effort, but she ignored the throbbing. He looked familiar...

She mouthed his name, almost afraid to say it, scared to get her hope dashed again. "L-Loki?"

His breath caught. "Sayrah!"

"It's really you. You're here." she whispered.

"I came to rescue you. I will always be there for you."

She smiled faintly. "Who says I need a man to rescue me? I am an independent woman."

He laughed, tears trailing down his face. Her cheeks were wet too.

"You can be so annoying, you know that, right?" he grinned.

"I want to tell you something."

"Anything."

"I, I love-"

"Wait." he interrupted. "Something's wrong." He looked over at Skadi. She had stopped chattering, her face frozen with fear, staring at something behind him. He leapt to his feet and turned to come face to face with Thanos.

"The two lovers reunited at last. I do wish I had such a relationship."

"Thanos." Loki said, coolly and restrained.

"Princeling. It's a pleasure to see you again. Shall we discuss your performance on the mission I gave you? Was it my fault that you failed? Did I not supply you with an army? Unlimited power? The ability to be the absolute ruler of all of your nine little realms? And yet, you lost. To a ragtag team of misfits, no less. As you can imagine, I was not pleased at all to hear of your failure. You had to be punished, of course." He circled Loki, who stood perfectly still, trying to keep from losing his temper.

"But, you had already experienced everything I have. I thought to myself, '_What does that spoiled brat treasure more than anything?'_ And suddenly, the answer came to me: the one person that always showed up in your cherished childhood memories. So I sent some of the Chitauri to fetch her. She did make quite a fuss. Then I got an even better idea! Why not present my lady Death with a deceased immortal? She would be delighted to have such a rarity. Now here we are. I have three immortals and the Tessaract right here." he grinned. "You haven't retaliated yet. But that's not your style, is it? More like your brother to resort to violence first thing."

"It would be foolish to attack you."

"That's right, and just in case you did try something, this would be the result." He pressed the button connecting to the chair Sayrah was in. She yelped and slumped over, blood trickling from the side of her lips.

"Let. Her. Go."

Thanos ignored him. "I want to offer you a choice. You may decide your own fate, as well as theirs."

He gestured to Sayrah. "Chose her, and I will let her go, you may go and live the life you've dreamed of with her, or-"

He pointed to Skadi. "You can save her life and the Tessaract and earn dear daddy's love back, which you so desperately crave. Either way, the one whom you do not pick will die a slow, painful death." Loki stared at him. "Which will it be? Your dream girl, or your family's love and Asgard's safety? Choose."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you all die, and I get the Tessaract. Simple."

"Then why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"I enjoy drawing the pain out in my victims. You were warned. Know that what she experiences is a million times worse than what you ever did. It only took less than a day for her to beg for Death."

Loki looked to Sayrah. She was so beautiful, even in this state. She was the reason he was here in the first place. That's why Odin sent him here. On the other hand, he couldn't allow for Thanos to hold the power of the Tessaract. He would destroy everything, despite his promise not to harm Asgard. He found himself wondering what Thor would decide. He would probably choose Skadi, being the selfless idiot he was.

"Choose."

"I- I want…"


	11. Chapter 11

"I WANT YOU TO STAND DOWN!" The far wall exploded into rubble as Mjolnir crashed through it. It bounced off the torture device Sayrah was in, knocking her to the floor.

"Thor!" Skadi cried. "Get me out of here!"

He shushed her with a wave of his hand. "In a moment, my lady. I must deal with this monster first." He faced Thanos.

Loki stepped next to him. "It goes against every bone in my body to say this, but, Thor, I am so glad to see you."

Thor smiled at his brother. "And I you."

"Touching. Now if I may have your attention." Thanos flexed his fingers and a glittering sword materialized in his hand. Thor summoned Mjolnir back to him. He let out a fearsome shout and charged Thanos, who flung himself toward him with equal force. Their weapons clashed against each other. Thor struggled to get the upper hand. Thanos smiled and kicked him in the gut. He staggered backwards.

"That wasn't very fair." he panted.

"I don't play fair."

The two engaged in combat, weapons clanging together over and over, sparks flying, creating a terrible noise. Loki darted around them, aiming spells at the chinks in Thanos' armor. A stray shot shattered Skadi's glass prison. She screamed; covering her head with her arms as glass shards rained down on her.

* * *

Sayrah flinched when Thor's hammer collided with her chair. She fell to the ground and instinctively rolled away from the wreckage. She glanced down at her hands. They were free. A half- hysterical laugh escaped her lips. Thanos was going to get it now. Possibilities raced through her head.

_"Mjolnir must have broken the magic barriers in place too." _she thought, testing her magic abilities. A pained cry snapped her to attention.

Thor and Loki had fallen, both sustaining heavy injuries. Thanos stood over them, not a single scratch on him.

"Enough of these little games. You have sealed all of your fates. All four of you will die, and then I shall kill the others outside fighting my forces. The Tessaract will be mine to control and Death will finally return my affection! I will conquer all! I will-"

THWACK!

A stunned look crossed his face. "Huh?" he managed to get out before collapsing, out cold. Sayrah stood behind him, breathing heavily and holding remains of the torture chair.

"You really shouldn't talk. It's quite distracting."

Thor and Loki stared at her, mouths agape and shock etched on their faces.

"What?"

"Did you just hit the Titan Lord Thanos over the head with a chair?" Loki asked.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did." she said brightly.

"Okay then." he replied, still partially dumbfounded. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"You could never get on my bad side."

They smiled at each other.

"Listen, about what I was going to say earlier…" she started.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I wanted to say that I-"

"You guys! We have to get out of here!" Skadi interrupted.

"Yes. Right. Sorry, let's go." Loki shook his head. "This way!"

"You can't run like that! Both of you are injured." Sayrah protested.

"You are too, and there's no time." He took her hand. "I'm fine, really."

She hesitated. "Alright."

Thor hoisted the Tessaract container over his shoulder. "Come on!"

They ran out of the room, Loki in the lead, deftly navigating the remaining ruins of the lair, and avoiding fallen wreckage.

"Looks like the Warriors Three really did some damage." Skadi whispered to Sayrah, who gave her a tight smile in return. "What's your deal?"

"Skadi, I was just kidnapped, tortured, told that I had killed everyone I ever even remotely knew, brainwashed, rescued by the man I love, and now I'm running away from a maniac who wants to rule the world, and you ask me what's my deal?" Sayrah looked at her friend incredulously.

"Did you just say the man you love?"

Sayrah blushed. "Yes."

Skadi shook her head. "How many times do I have to tell you it won't work?"

"Can we please not talk about my love life right now? Not really the right time."

"Later. We will talk about this."

Sayrah rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

They all skidded to a stop, running into Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun.

"There you are! Skadi, Sayrah, marvelous to see you again." Fandral said with a grin. "Thor, turn the handle and let's get out of here then."

He did so. "Nothing's happening! It needs time to recharge!"

"We don't have the time to wait for it." Hogun replied.

"Well then how are we going to get out of here?" exclaimed Skadi.

"The planes." Sayrah said suddenly. "We'll commandeer one of the flying plane things and get out of here. We can use magic to protect us when going between worlds."

"Brilliant! Where are they?" Volstagg asked.

"This way." Loki gestured for them to follow him.

* * *

When they reached the planes, a troop of Chitauri soldiers awaited them. They swarmed forward, shooting at random.

"Take cover!" Thor shouted. They ducked behind the nearest boulder, dodging rapid fire and falling debris from the shaking of the room.

"We can't get past them." Skadi cried. "There's just too many!"

"Okay, enough with the damsel in distress bit, Skadi. It's getting really, really annoying. And that's saying something considering you!" Loki snapped.

"I always thought that that bit was overused anyway." Sayrah agreed, giving Skadi a smug smile.

"Stop being mean to me! The minute you got out of Thanos' control, you became a huge bilgesnipe, Sayrah."

Sayrah glared at her. "Do you want to take my place?"

"Seriously, we need to focus. Stop it all of you." Thor demanded.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Always wanting to be the voice of reason, aren't you? Tell me, what do you propose we do now?"

"You didn't have that tone of voice a few minutes ago when I saved your life."

"I didn't need saving, I had the situation perfectly under control!" he argued.

"You were about to make the worst decision of your life!"

"How would you know my decision?!"

"I assumed-"

"YEAH! YOU ASSUMED. YOU NATURALLY THINK THAT I WILL "CHOOSE" WRONGLY! I DON'T NEED YOUR MORALITY, THOR."

"CHOOSE WRONGLY? WHAT DO YOU EVEN-"

"BOYS!" Sayrah shouted. "I hate breaking sibling love up, but I thought you might want to know, our cover is moving."

They all stopped and stared as the 'boulder' they hid behind shuddered and slowly started to rise from the ground. They had taken cover behind a Leviathan. It let out a bellowing roar. The Chitauri stopped shooting and cheered, confident that it would eat the Asgardians.

"We're dead." Hogun said.

"I have an idea." Sayrah backed up and jumped onto the Leviathan, quickly scrambling up to the top of its head.

"What are you doing?!" Loki shouted. "Are you crazy?"

"Only for the people I care about!" she shouted from atop it. "No, scratch that. That sounded cheesy."

The Leviathan bucked wildly, trying to fling her off its back. "Calm down! It's okay, I won't hurt you!" she told it. She stroked its armor, sending waves of calming energy to its brain. It started to relax, hovering gently in midair. She smiled to herself. "That's it. See? Everything is okay. I've got you." Sayrah kept mumbling soothing things until the Leviathan stilled. The Chitauri troops yelled something, seeing that it was indeed not eating the enemy and pointed their weapons at it.

"Quickly! Get on! I don't know how long I can keep it calm!"

The others exchanged bemused and uncertain glances.

"Either ride the flying alien monster home, or die." Sayrah reminded.

They scrambled up the side of the Leviathan as fast as they could. The Chitauri started shooting again, the shots bounced off of the side plates of its armor.

"Yah!" Sayrah urged it to soar higher and forward, knocking over several soldiers in the process. "To Asgard!"


	12. Chapter 12

Balder lounged on the balcony overlooking the shining gates of the Bifrost. He was enjoying this break from his annoying brothers and hoped they wouldn't be back soon. With Skadi gone, he finally had a moment to himself. That girl just couldn't take a hint.

_"Push those thoughts from your head, Balder."_ he told himself. "_You're on vacation."_

He stretched out his arms with a smile, completely relaxed. Absolutely nothing could ruin his day now. Taking off his helmet, he faced the sun and let it warm his face. He sighed, content. A shadow passed over his face, blocking the sunlight. He frowned, eyes still closed. When it didn't seem like the shadow would go away, he blinked, trying to see what had interrupted his respite. "What the-"

A dark shape flew across the horizon. It seemed to be gaining speed at an alarming rate. He gasped, stepping back from the balcony rail. The thing was making loud screaming noises, like it was having the time of its life. It was headed straight for the palace! He turned and ran as fast as he possibly could to the Great Hall.

Out of breath, he pushed open the doors. Odin and Frigga turned to look at him. "Sir, there's-"

A horrible screaming sound cut him off. The ground shook with the sound of a thousand feet stampeding outside. The doors cracked and the walls crumbled as a monster crashed into the Hall. Odin leapt from his throne. "What in Valhalla-!?"

Sayrah popped up from behind the monster's armored head. "Hey everyone! I'm back! Miss me?"

Frigga swooned and fainted. Balder lunged to catch her before she hit the ground. He helped her into a nearby chair and rounded on Sayrah. "What the Hel is that thing?"

"He's a Leviathan, and his name is Boe." she replied, nodding and smiling like she did nothing wrong.

"You named it!?"

"All creatures deserve names."

"Sayrah, where are the others?" Odin asked.

"Right here!" Thor and the Warriors Three slid off the side of the Leviathan.

Skadi toppled down after them. "Balder! Did you see that? I rode a Levi- thingy!"

"Yeah, that's great, Skadi." he said flatly.

Loki pulled himself forward, gripping Sayrah's shoulder for balance. "I am never doing that ever again."

"But it was fun!" she giggled.

"That was not fun."

"Are you just going to ignore the fact that you crashed into the Great Hall?" Balder asked impatiently.

Sayrah looked around. "Oh, we did? I guess my aim was off. I wanted to smash your room."

Balder gaped at her. "You arse!" he spat. "I wish you stayed with Thanos!"

She gave him a dirty look and stuck out her tongue.

"Enough flirting." Loki whispered to Sayrah. "Are you trying to make someone jealous?"

She nudged him playfully. "Maybe I am."

He smiled, but winced and clutched his arm.

"Oh, you're injured, I forgot. Here, I can fix that." She laid her hands gently on his shoulders and closed her eyes. His wound slowly started to close up, the blood and dirt disappearing.

He gave an approving smile. "You always were better at healing magic."

"I am better at all magic."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Haven't been doing much of that lately." She opened her eyes and looked at him sadly.

"I came as soon as I could."

"I know."

"That's what a friend is supposed to do."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." she mumbled.

"Loki, Sayrah, get down here." Odin called, interrupting them.

They climbed down and walked over to All- father. "I am glad for all of your safe return. I was conversing with Thor and he gave me the basics of what happened. Thanos has become an immediate threat. He might be subdued for now, but he will return, and in full force. You two must work with the rest of us in devising ways to combat him, as you both have experienced his cruelty first hand."

Loki scowled. "So we were the guinea pigs? You want us to some up with ways to keep the ones you actually care about from torture?"

"You know I don't mean it like that." Odin sighed, not wanting to go into this argument again.

"Do you?"

Sayrah spoke up before they started to shout. "I can try my best, sir, but I honestly can't imagine re- living the horrors I have been through. Give me time to recover please. And I assume that this applies to the Prince as well." She gave Loki her best- shut- up- and –agree look.

"Yeah, sure." he grumbled, forcing himself drop the matter.

"I understand." Odin nodded to them. "Now if you all may excuse me, I wish to talk with my sons."

The Warriors Three and Skadi bowed and walked out of the remains of the door, each giving Boe a thankful pat as they passed. Sayrah hesitated in following them.

"Sir, with all due respect, I think that everyone, including the Princes, need rest at the moment."

"It will not take long, I promise."

Sayrah glanced at Loki before turning away. "Come on, Boe." She tried to tug him away.

"Wait- you can't keep that thing here!" Balder insisted.

"Why not? He's so friendly, see?" She hugged the Leviathan. It made a happy grumbling sound. "How could you say no to that?"

They both looked at Odin, who wearily sighed once more. "It may stay. For now."

"Yes!" Sayrah cried, triumphant.

"But, sir-"

"Balder, it is best if you and Frigga go as well."

"But-"

"Now."

He stomped out of the room after Frigga. Sayrah gently guided Boe out of the ruined doorway after a few more seconds of hesitation. Odin waited until they had gone completely before shifting his attention to Loki. "Your brother told me of the proposal Thanos offered you."

"That is none of your concern, and he is not my brother." He glared at Thor, who shrugged helplessly. "You said that you were going to stop me from making the biggest mistake of my life."

"Let me explain my intent." Thor started to say.

"No. You leave me alone. I am not your helpless little brother. I will do as I wish, without either of your permission. I will-"

"**I wanted you to pick Sayrah and not the Tessaract!**" Thor shouted before he could continue.

Loki stopped midsentence and stared at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I wanted you to choose her. It is obvious that you care for her, and she cares for you too, but you don't often notice it. I see it. They way you two look at each other. They way she smiles and laughs whenever you're around. She brings you so much peace. Don't you see it? When- when we were younger, when it was just me and you and Sayrah, and when the two of you always wanted to do everything together… I would be envious. I wanted so much to be a part of that. But now I realize it was always you two. Always." Thor blushed, embarrassed at telling Loki this.

"I- I never thought-" he stammered.

"You should go to her, brother. Do you not love her back?"

"I'm married!"

"That never stopped you before."

"Stop it. Stop it. I can't listen to this right now. I have to go." He turned on his heel and fled the Great Hall.

Odin and Thor watched him leave. "I really do care for him." Odin said aloud.

"Me too, Father."

"I want his happiness as much as I want yours or Balder's."

"What do you mean by that?"

He shook his head. "I want him to feel wanted here. And if Sayrah is what it takes for that, I will do anything to keep it that way. Anything."

They sat in silence for a bit until Thor spoke up. "Father, what will you do when Thanos arrives?"

"We shall find out when he does."

* * *

Loki stalked through the halls of the palace. "_Sayrah only thinks of me as a friend, right? Right?"_

The longer he walked, the more he realized just how much he depended on her. She was always at his side. In his youth, he thought her friendliness was just another order from Idunn to be polite to him. He was royalty, after all, and Sayrah followed Idunn's word as if she really were her mother. But as they got closer and grew together, he counted her as a genuine friend, one of few. If it weren't for her, he thought, he'd still be in that cell, awaiting Odin's punishment. He was grateful for her daily visits then. Even when he felt his lowest, he could rely on her. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't notice how much she had changed from the little girl he knew as a child. She was bolder, headstrong, less naïve and trusting. Was that his fault? Had he made her withdraw from Asgard? He knew she didn't really fit in with the other Aesir because of her background. Just like him.

And she was beautiful. Her cropped auburn hair, her deep brown eyes… That night when he saw her in her fancy dress, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Even in her armor, even when slaying monsters and foes, she was attractive. Sexy, even. "_Odin's beard, did I really just think that?" _he thought.

But it's true, he told himself. When Thanos kidnapped her, he was furious, worried sick for her safety. He couldn't even think of anything but getting her back. It slowly dawned on him that he did truly care for her. Maybe even… loved her.

"Husband!" Sigyn's voice pierced his thoughts.

"_Oh, Hel."_

"Sigyn! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. I heard you were back from your little rescue mission." she replied.

"Yes, I'm back. Again."

"Is Sayrah alright?"

"She's fine. Great, even. She got a new pet out of it."

Sigyn nodded curtly. "That's good to hear."

They stood in an awkward silence for a bit. "So… what are you doing tonight?" Sigyn asked.

"I'm going to rest. That's it. I'm tired." He moved to walk around her.

She blocked his way. "You're not going to visit her are you?"

"If by her, you mean Sayrah?"

"Yes."

"No, I'm going to rest. Now move aside." His expression was menacing.

"You can't leave yet."

"Sigyn, step aside." he growled and pushed her out of his way. He brushed his coat off and started back down the hall.

"What about me, Loki?" she called after him.

He stopped and turned slowly. "What do you mean?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean. We are married you know. I know you have been unfaithful. I know about your children, but another Aesir?" she ranted. "I never wanted this marriage. And yet, it happened. My mother told me to be patient, so I was. I learned to be obedient. I learned to love you, in a way. I thought that we might have had a chance to make things better, but ever since you came back, you have always been in her company, all the time. And you don't do a thing about it. You're a prince, so start acting like one. Look me in the eye and tell me that you do not love Sayrah."

He hesitated.

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well?"

"I- I can't."

She closed her eyes in a pained way. "Why did expect anything else?" Sigyn muttered. "I love you, Loki. I'm your wife."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot return your love any longer." He strode away from her without a second glance.

She stared after him, silent tears welling in her eyes. "But I love you..." she whispered.

* * *

Sayrah couldn't sleep. She tried and tried, but the images she endured under Thanos' torture haunted her. She had kept a straight face after being rescued and in the Great Hall, but now, alone, it was too much for her to handle. She didn't want to face her dreams. It was a balmy night, so she snuck out to visit Boe in his makeshift stable. He lowed softly when she approached.

"Hey you. You settling in alright?" she stroked his armored head. Boe sighed contentedly. "That's great. I'm glad you like it here. You're not like the other Leviathans, are you?"

He made a happy sound.

"Yeah, I don't fit in either. There's only one that I can relate to."

Boe groaned again.

"What do you mean there's someone behind me?" She turned to see Loki in the doorway.

"Traitor." he teased.

Boe shook his massive head. Loki smiled. "I know. She should be in bed." He looked to Sayrah. "But I don't think she can sleep."

A concerned expression passed over his face. "The nightmares will fade eventually."

"It doesn't seem like it. How did you ever stand it?"

"I had someone to help me through. How have you stood it for so long? You should have been a mess after I unhooked you from that machine. I was." He added quietly.

"I can't." she whispered. "I can't, I can't stand it." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can't stop thinking about everything I saw. He played on my worst fears and broke my fondest memories. My body just kind of shut down as my mind ripped itself apart. And now I keep imagining Thanos and his army marching across the Bifrost for revenge. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. Loki- what if-" she choked off, crying too hard to continue.

His heart panged with sympathy and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't cry. Everything will work out." He gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Would you like me to eviscerate someone for you? There's a smile."

"Stop it. I'm trying to be emotional over here." she laughed through her sobs. "You're really bad at this whole comforting thing."

"My kind isn't known to be comforting."

"That doesn't matter to me." She gave him a significant look.

His face turned red. "Uh- I- er…" he stammered.

"I get it. We'll talk about something else." She shifted in order to face him. "Tell me a story. Anything to postpone sleeping."

He sighed, relieved that she dropped it so quickly. "Did I tell you about the time I almost lost Sleipnir in the woods?"

"Nearly a hundred times. But it's my favorite."

"It all started one day when Thor decided that he wanted to try…" he continued on to spin a pretty tale from their shared childhood.

She remembered the occasion fondly, but she liked hearing him tell it. Sayrah loved watching and listening to him talk. His way with words could rival her own inspired quotes. "_The silver tongued Prince._" she thought.

But he seemed nervous sitting here, with her. She wondered what Odin said to him. What Thanos did to him, what he had seen in that torturous place. She now knew firsthand what Thanos was capable of, so how did Loki deal? It almost physically hurt her to think about it. She already had gotten a taste of what her life would be like without him when he left Asgard. It seemed ages ago when he first stepped through the palace doors, chained and forlorn. She cared so much for him and he didn't realize it. Maybe that's why she composed so many romantic tragedies…

In her head, she knew it couldn't work. He was married and nothing could change that. Her heart protested that Sigyn didn't-doesn't-deserve him and that she could love him a million times more than Sigyn or Odin, or even Thor could. The Aesir treated him like a monster. The monster parents tell their children about at night. She didn't think of him like that. She didn't care if he was Jotun, Aesir, mortal, or any other race. Hel, he could be half troll for all she cared. Loki was Loki and she loved him. And she was going to tell him just that if it killed her.

"…So then he said that he was sorry, but I didn't believe him, so I-"

"I love you." she blurted.

He stopped. "What?"

"I love you." Saryrah repeated. "I- I just wanted to say it. It's just how I feel and I needed to say it. Now that I know… all that I know about Thanos and life and whatnot, I wanted to say it before something terrible happened again."

His eyes widened, mouth agape as she talked faster and faster, already feeling like she had made a huge mistake.

"I completely understand if you don't feel the same way. I know there's Sigyn and the Jotun girl, not to mention about a dozen or so mortals, but still. I love you Loki Laufeyson, and nothing you do will ever make me stop." she stated, almost defiantly.

Loki stared at her in stunned silence. She began to panic.

"_This was a bad idea. I shouldn't have said anything. What was I thinking? So stupid- oh!" _

He placed his hands on her face and kissed her, confusing her thoughts and throwing her completely off-guard.

"_Oh._"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer, heart practically exploding with happiness. "_This is not the reaction I expected." _

He pressed harder, running his hands slowly down her back. When they finally parted, she stepped back a bit, taken aback.

"Wow." she said, breathless.

"Same." he grinned sheepishly.

"So does this mean…"

"I have always believed that I am an unloved person, and never meant to be loved. Through all of my troubles and lies, you have stood by my side. For that, my heart is yours. Forever."

She beamed at him. "So eloquent. I will always stay by your side. What about-"

"Sigyn? I don't know." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "But I don't care as long as I have you."

"That's so cheesy." She kissed his cheek. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

He was briefly reminded of the speech he made to the mortal girl on Midgard. Sentiment. "_Perhaps a little is okay after all." _he thought as Sayrah leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

Hand in hand, they walked back to Sayrah's room in the darkness of the night. She slowly opened the door.

"I think I'll be able to sleep peacefully now."

"I hope so." Loki pressed her hand to his lips. "Sweet dreams."

"You can be really romantic when you want to, can't you? Is this how you seduced all those mortal women?" She kissed him one more time before stepping into the room.

He smiled. "I love you."

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that."

"I have an idea."

"Good night." she blew him a final kiss and shut the door behind her.

He sighed, content. He'd never felt happier than he'd ever been in that moment. Loki started back to the palace, for once not dreading his own sleep since the night he learned about his heritage.

When he got to his room, he collapsed gratefully into his bed. It was pure luck that he didn't meet anyone on the way. He wouldn't have been able to think of a lie fast enough because his thoughts were filled with Sayrah and his dreams that night were too.


	13. Chapter 13

Weeks passed by as Sayrah and Loki worked with Odin's forces and best magic scholars to devise ways to protect against Thanos, for they could only suspect he was planning an attack soon. Sayrah loved being able to boss the soldiers around whereas Loki skulked resentfully behind the scenes. He didn't think any amount of training and magic could defend against Thanos and his army, a point which he made very clear to anyone who would listen. But they tried their best, knowing that their work could mean the difference between life and death for any one of them.

An air of worry and solemnity permeated the normally cheery atmosphere of Asgard. The Aesir spoke in low whispers and tended to stay in large groups, as if Thanos himself might hear what they were saying and snatch them away. Thor increased his dogged efforts to repair the Bifrost. He wanted to reconnect Asgard with Midgard in the hopes that his friends there could aid them in the effort to defend Asgard when war eventually broke out. Odin allowed a group to work with him in repairing it, knowing that the Bifrost's security was essential. He also started negotiating alliances with the other realms for extra help.

Sayrah and Loki were reduced to meeting in secret, sometimes only having time for short, passionate moments in between preparation shifts. As far as they knew, no one else suspected a thing about them, but they had gotten careless in their desperation to be together. Sigyn noticed that Loki had been avoiding her more than usual; Sayrah wouldn't really talk with Skaldi when they had "girl time." They both began to grow suspicious…

* * *

"No, don't put that there! Are you trying to kill us all?!" Sayrah shouted at a nearby magician working on the Bifrost. "The magic couldn't support it! Now you have to start all over!"

The worker looked petrified and furiously began to redo his work.

"_I really could get used to this."_ she thought.

"Sayrah." Loki stood next to her, straight- backed and polite.

"Prince Loki." She nodded curtly.

"The All- Father has requested our presence in the Great Hall."

"I see." She turned to the sorcerer. "Don't mess up again. I'll be watching you."

Loki shook his head and smiled to himself. "You're enjoying this a bit too much." he muttered under his breath as they walked.

"You're not enjoying it enough."

She followed Loki away from the Bifrost, waving at Heimdall as she passed. He winked at her. Sayrah blushed.

Now that she thought of it, Heimdall probably knew about their relationship, but she trusted him to keep her secret. She always had trusted him. When she was little, she liked to sit with him on the edge of the Bifrost and listen to him describe all he saw on Midgard. They formed a sort of understanding; he was a mentor and a friend to her when she had none.

"So is this a real summons?" she asked when they were out of earshot.

"Of course it is. I wouldn't lie about something so important."

"You don't have to pretend anymore. No one's around."

"We don't know that. And keep your voice down." He led her through the palace halls, farther and farther until they reached a very remote corner.

"Are you sure you didn't take me to Jotunheim?" she teased.

"Very funny."

"Lighten up. We'll all be dead in a couple of weeks, might as well make it fun." She stepped closer to him until only a hair's breadth separated them.

"And I intend to make every…last…moment…fun." she purred.

He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. Her arms wound around his shoulders and her hands gently stroked the back of his neck.

Loki hummed in satisfaction.

"I love you." He intoned.

"Mmm, shut up and kiss me harder."

They became more and more intimate, hands flying everywhere, the intensity between them rising, when-

"**I KNEW IT**!" someone shrieked.

They jerked apart, faces red. Sigyn stood a few feet away from them, shaking with anger. "**You lying cur! How dare you**!?"

Loki hastily readjusted his shirt collar. "Sigyn, calm down. I can explain everything…"

"**There's nothing to explain!** You are out of control! This is definitely not appropriate behavior for a husband, let alone a Prince! Sneaking around, lying your way out of everything! You disgust me!"

"But-"

"I can't believe you!"

Sayrah started to speak, but Sigyn rounded on her. "**_Don't_** you even say a thing! You don't have the right, filthy little mortal harlot!"

Sayrah's eyes widened in shock. "Did you just-"

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Loki roared.

"MAKE ME!"

He started at her, but Sayrah pulled him back. "It's okay, really. I don't care what an old, washed- up, sad excuse for a Vanir thinks of me."

Sigyn gasped. "I'm telling Odin!" she turned and fled.

"She actually took that better than I expected." Sayrah commented when she left.

Loki ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "This is bad."

"It had to be found out sometime." She hugged him. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."

He sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"I love you." She murmured into his chest.

He rested his chin on her head. "I love you too."

* * *

Sigyn was in tears when she reached the Great Hall. She collapsed in front of Odin's throne, sobbing inconsolably.

"Sigyn!" Frigg hurried to her side. "What happened, my dear?"

She shook her head, unable to speak. Odin regarded her pensively, slowly realizing the reason for her grief. "You found out." He asked gravely.

She nodded. "How-how did you…?"

"Found out what?" Frigga looked to Odin, but he ignored both of their questions.

"When?"

"Just now. I was looking for him for Thor, and found…. I found…" she started to cry again.

"What did she find, Odin?" Frigga insisted.

"Loki. She found Loki and Sayrah. Together."

"Oh, Sigyn." Frigga put her arm around her shoulder. "I'm so sorry dear."

"Can't you do something?" Sigyn pleaded with Odin.

"Perhaps."

"Please! I know our relationship wasn't on the best of terms at first, but I really do love him. It hurts to see him seek comfort in another woman's arms." she sniffed.

Odin sighed. He knew this would happen eventually, but he hoped it would be later. "I will do what I see fit."

Sigyn nodded tearfully. "Thank you."

Frigga led her gently out of the room, trying to calm her with soothing words. "Come, let's visit Sif. Perhaps she will have some comforting words for you…"

Odin watched them go, his heart sinking lower and lower. He didn't want to ruin Loki's happiness. Sigyn probably expected him to punish Sayrah for her actions. He had hoped the issue would resolve itself, but then again, when did that approach ever work when Loki was concerned? Odin only wanted what was best for him. He needed someone to support him as he walked down the path of recovery.

At least, he hoped Loki would redeem himself in time. He felt confident that Sayrah could help him with that. She was a strong girl who obviously cared for him. She was much like Loki himself. Secretly, he would prefer Sayrah over Sigyn as his son's wife any day. Why Loki was only just now realizing this was beyond him. All he could do now was sit back and hope his original plan would work.

"_It will happen in due time, I suppose."_

He hoped so. He really, really hoped so.


	14. Chapter 14

Something was wrong. Sayrah could feel it. She sat up in bed, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Loki mumbled from beside her, half asleep.

"I'm not sure yet. I can't think properly yet." She slowly crawled out of the bed and stretched, still aching a bit from their long night.

Loki rolled over and watched her. "Are you leaving?"

"I can stay for a bit." She got dressed and started to slowly strap on her armor.

"Aww." he complained. "Don't leave."

Loki patted the mattress, his usual mischievous grin stretched across his face. "Stay awhile."

"No. And shut up for a minute, I'm concentrating."

"Rude." Loki swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled a pair of pants on. "Is Sigyn still giving you dirty looks?" he asked casually. "I'm actually kind of surprised that Odin hasn't done anything yet. It's been like, what? Two weeks since she had the breakdown?"

He paused, waiting for a reply. "Sayrah?"

The headpiece she was holding fell to the ground with a clang.

"Sayrah!"

He turned and saw her standing frozen, staring at the door. Thor stood in the doorway jaw hanging open.

"Uhhhhh…." He gawked at the two of them, trying to put his words together. "Hi."

Loki leapt to his feet. "GET OUT!" he roared and slammed the door in his face. "How long do you think he was standing there?"

"My guess? Probably after I started gathering my armor from the floor."

Loki swore under his breath. "Odin's definitely going to do something now."

"I thought you said he wanted us together."

"Not with Sigyn still in the picture."

"What do you think is going to happen now?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"I don't know." He picked up the fallen headpiece and placed it on her head. "But it'll be okay. We'll figure something out."

"It won't be okay." she protested.

"It will. Trust me."

"Uh-huh." Sayrah gave him a quick kiss and slipped out the door.

Loki watched her go, trepidation tugging at his insides. Thor had probably intruded for a reason. And now that he'd seen Sayrah with him, the situation could get a whole lot worse. Odin always took Thor's word like law.

He supposed that the only way to salvage their relationship was to announce divorce, but Sigyn would never agree. His mind raced for possibilities as he dressed and made his way to the Great Hall.

Gossip and conversation buzzed throughout it. Anyone and everyone living in Asgard were gathered there. Some faces expressed worry, some looked solemn, but all were focused on Odin, who lifted his hand for silence when Loki walked in and took his place next to Thor, Balder, and Frigga. Thor raised an eyebrow and gave him a half-smile as if to congratulate his brother, but Loki determinedly avoided his gaze.

"Now that we are all here, I wish to discuss the recent preparations for war. Most importantly, I wish to discuss the Bifrost. Thor has done much in an effort to repair it, but it still has a long way to go. If we cannot get it done before Thanos' attack, I intend to use the Odinforce to ensure its quick repair and provide a way for our allies, the dwarves, Vanir, and Light Elves to pass through to Asgard to aid us in the coming invasion."

Surprised gasps rolled through the crowd.

"You can't do that! You need the Odinforce to defeat Thanos!" called Tyr. The others nodded their agreement.

"I understand the consequences of this plan and, if need be, my sons are to lead the battle and carry on in my wake as I enter the Odinsleep. I am confident that Thor, Loki and Balder can manage this task."

The three brothers exchanged uneasy glances. "Father, do you really think-?" Balder started.

"Loki? What is he going to do? Betray us again?" shouted someone from the back of the room.

"Yeah, we don't want him anywhere near the throne!" another added. "He's unhinged!"

THe crowd grew louder and louder, voicing their discontent with Odin's plan.

"HEY!" Sayrah bellowed. "In case you haven't notices, Loki is the one who's been giving us the most information on Thanos! He could be saving any one of your pathetic lives!"

"Stop defending him Halfling! You're no better than he is!" voiced one.

"Let's not resort to violence and insults, here!" Thor interrupted. "We can work this out like reasonable gods."

Sigyn stood, barely making a sound. "Don't protect them like they're innocent Thor!"

Thor hesitated, somehow hearing her over the bickering of the Asgardians. "I- uh… don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do! You know exactly what I mean!" She turned to face the crowd, raising her voice to be heard. "My husband Loki has been having an affair with Sayrah for months now, and the All- Father has done nothing about it!"

All fell silent. Skadi's jaw dropped to the floor. Idunn and Bragi gasped. Sayrah looked absolutely mortified. Loki froze; shocked that Sigyn would be so bold.

"Is this true, Odin?" Balder asked.

"Yes. Yes, it's true. All of it." Sayrah blurted before he could speak. "I don't deny it. Do with me what you will, but leave him be. I take full responsibility for everything."

"Sayrah, no-" Loki started.

"Adulterer!" someone cut off. Others took up the cry.

"Mortal Halfling!"

"Concubine!"

"SILENCE!" Odin roared. "This issue is not a concern right now. We must focus on more important matters, like Thanos."

"How can you say that?" Sigyn cried. "You promised me retribution!"

"Now's not the time!"

"It's the perfect time!"

The Aesir burst into argument yet again, bickering amongst themselves. "Punish her!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Sayrah looked to Loki in desperation. He looked at her sympathetically. "It'll be okay." he mouthed.

* * *

"Typical Asgardians. Too busy fighting themselves instead of coming up with a real challenge." Thanos shook his head. "This will be almost too easy."

He nodded to a nearby Chitauri General. "Send the first wave."

* * *

"ENOUGH!" Odin roared. The Hall went silent once more, resentment and fear simmering underneath their focused gazes.

They were afraid. They needed something to blame. Sigyn made Loki and Sayrah easy targets with her outburst. Odin knew he had to resolve this quickly, before he lost control and made them vulnerable to attack from Thanos.

"I have decided. As a Prince of Asgard, Loki cannot and will not be held responsible for his actions."

The crowd muttered to themselves, discontent.

But, Sayrah Zuredottir, for crimes of adultery and betrayal to Asgardian law, I sentence you to-"

Before he could finish, the ground shuddered beneath the palace floor.

"What the-?"

The Asgardians stumbled around, trying to regain their balance. One of Odin's Crimson Hawks pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

"My liege! We're under attack….the outer walls….. Thanos is here!"

The room devolved into chaotic panic. The women screamed and scrambled to find a safe place; the men leapt into action and readied themselves for battle.

"All able-bodied warriors to me!" Thor called.

"No need to panic, we are prepared for this. Don't push, everything will be alright." Balder assured the crowd of terrified people and tried to help them along in an orderly fashion.

Loki moved to Sayrah and hugged her tightly. "That was close."

"It still needs to happen." Sayrah let go and placed a hand on her sword. "Until then, I'm fighting."

"No." he pulled her back.

"I have to. For me, for you, for us. Thanos has to be stopped, and he'll be thirsting for our blood, so why not give it to him?"

"Because I don't want to die for this stupid realm! They were ready to punish, even kill you about a minute ago. Who says they won't serve us to Thanos on a silver platter as soon as he shows his face?!"

"I don't care about them or what they'll do. Are you coming with me or not?"

"Fine. Promise to try and stay safe."

"I can't, but I will anyway." She kissed him and took off after Thor and the other warriors. Loki sighed and followed after her, fearing that the next time he saw her would be in a coffin.


	15. Chapter 15

"This war will not be long-lived. The Asgardians have no defense against our forces. We shall crush them like the insects they are." The Other said.

"Do not underestimate their power." Thanos replied, lifting a hand to the spot where Sayrah knocked him out. "Or their determination. Send the next wave."

* * *

Death and destruction everywhere. Bodies of fallen warriors strewn across the field. Dead Chitauri littered the outer walls. War was not a pretty sight, Sayrah decided. It was too messy, gory, disgusting. The Asgardians suffered heavy losses and yet more Chitauri came in droves to replenish their own lost numbers. She almost wished that Thanos would show himself now and save everyone from this misery. Healers moved from body to body, trying to assist the few that survived with only injuries. She herself had sustained a blow to her head and several deep wounds crisscrossed over her arms. Magic had slowly begun to heal them, but she still winced with every step.

She felt bad for leaving the battle scene, but it had become too much for her to bear. After slaying Chitauri after Chitauri, she grew weary, which left her too vulnerable. She decided to leave before anything serious happened to her.

And now, she walked through the empty streets of Asgard. It was quiet here, so far from the action; it was like a regular day. But there weren't any people milling about. No vendors haggling with customers, no children playing, no women standing around gossiping, no guards leisurely patrolling the square. She had never seen her home like this before. It reminded her too much of her village from when she was a mortal. "_At least there are no fires." _

A small sound came from a nearby alleyway. Sayrah turned round the corner to find a little girl sitting and crying in the middle of the road.

"Hi there. Why are you crying?" she asked, squatting down next to her.

"I can't find my daddy." The girl wiped her runny nose with her sleeve and glanced up at the goddess.

"What's your name?"

"Jaenna."

"Well, don't worry Jaenna, I'm sure your daddy is fine. He's the best warrior in Asgard, right?" Sayrah said, trying to cheer her up.

"Mm- hmm" the girl sniffled.

"You have a mommy, Jaenna?"

"No. Daddy said she went to visit Niflheim. She should be back soon."

Sayrah bit her lip. "Oh. Yes, I'm sure."

"Did you come from the battle? Did you see my daddy? Is he okay?"

"Uhhh, yes. He is- fine. Yes, your daddy is okay."

Jaenna smiled up at her, breaking Sayrah's heart. She hoped that her father was fine, that he would come home safely to his little girl.

"Hello, Asgardians."

Thanos' voice boomed unexpectedly throughout the square. Jaenna shrieked in fright and grabbed Sayrah's arm.

"It seems to me you are on the verge of losing this war. You must be desperate to save your little realm. Let's not waste anymore blood. I propose a truce. I wish to speak with Odin and a special few Aesir. They know who they are. Meet me on the edge of the Bifrost. Do not disappoint."

Sayrah's fists clenched. "I have to go, little one. Get somewhere safe. Preferably indoors."

"You're an Aesir?"

"Yes."

Jaenna's face lit up. "Wait, I know you! You were the one everyone was yelling at this morning for being in love with the prince!"

Sayrah smiled. "That's me."

"Do you really love him?"

"I really do."

"Then you should go get him. You should marry him."

"It's not that simple, kid."

"Yuh-huh. If you love him, and he loves you, you should be married. Everything should be as easy as that."

"It should be, shouldn't it?" She ruffled Jaenna's hair. "Do me a favor and mention that to the All-Father when you can."

"I will!" Jaenna got up. "Thank you for telling me my daddy is okay! I hope you will be happy with your Prince!" She happily skipped away, still in awe over meeting a real Aesir.

"Keep out of sight and stay safe!" Sayrah called after her. It hurt to know that this little girl would probably not see her father again. She was too innocent and too young to experience the horrors of war yet. Thanos would pay for the lives he destroyed. It was time to kick his arse out of Asgard once and for all.

* * *

"Ah, here we are. The incompetent King, the foolish princeling, and the star- crossed lovers from two different worlds. Now our little meeting is complete." Thanos greeted as Odin, Thor, Loki, and Sayrah approached him. Next to him stood Heimdall, ever vigilant in his guard, watched over them, ready to intervene at any second.

"Hello, Thanos. How's the head doing?" Sayrah shot back.

He sneered at her. Heimdall chuckled in spite of himself.

"What is it that you want, Thanos?" Odin asked calmly.

"Why ask questions to which you already know the answer, Odin? The Tessaract and the Infinity Gauntlet, of course."

"That's not an option. And, I believe that if you _really_ wanted them, you already would have them in your possession."

"I don't think he can get them." Loki interjected. "Perhaps he is still weak from the last time we encountered him and cannot get them on his own."

"A false claim. I am as strong as ever. I only waste time with this pointless squabble is for entertainment purposes only."

"You started a war with us because you were bored? You're letting innocent people die for your amusement?!" Sayrah fumed.

"Don't act so surprised, my dear. Asgardians have watched people die for no reason for eons. And not just their own, other races as well. Tell me, how long did it take for even a single Aesir to intervene when your village burned down?"

Sayrah glared and made a move toward him, but Loki held her back before she could hit him.

"There will be no more bloodshed this day. We can work something out." Odin maintained his cool tone.

"I gave you my terms."

"We are not surrendering the Tessaract or the Infinity Gauntlet."

"Well then let me make myself clearer. Give me the Tessaract and the Gauntlet, or he dies." He leveled his sword at Loki.

"Also not an option."

"You don't have many options right now, old man. Your forces are weak, the Bifrost is in ruins, my Chitauri surround your precious palace, and your son's life is in danger."

"We are not as helpless as you think. We _will_ stop you through any means necessary."

"Stop this!" Thanos shouted, losing his patience with Odin. He shot an explosion of energy from the tip of his sword at Loki.

"NO!" Sayrah leapt in front of him, pushing him out of the way and taking the entirety of the blast full- force. She went reeling back, slamming hard into the Bifrost.

"SAYRAH!" Loki rushed to her side. "Sayrah!"

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her in desperation. "Sayrah, no! Stay with me, please!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Thor bellowed. He swung Mjolnir into Thanos' head. Thanos just grinned and shoved him aside effortlessly.

"How does it feel, Princeling?" he mocked.

Loki stood shakily. "You had no quarrel with her."

"How did you put it to the mortal director, again? An ant has no quarrel with a boot. This is your punishment for failure, Jotun Bastard."

Loki let out a strangled cry and charged him head on.

Thanos only laughed and knocked him back with a swing of his hand. "I won't kill you. I will only make you suffer even more. You will live forever knowing that the only one who might have actually loved you is dead because of your actions." He raised a hand, stopping Odin from aiding Thor in his attack.

"Poor Princeling." He wrapped his hand around Loki's throat and lifted him up. "No one can help you now."

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

Thanos turned to see Sigyn hovering a few feet off the ground, magic energy humming and crackling threateningly around her.

"The forgotten wife. Still bitter from your husband's sordid betrayal?"

"I love my husband, and no matter what he does, I will be faithful to him until the end."

"Please. What is a weak little goddess like you going to do to me?" Thanos laughed. He threw Loki aside to face her completely.

"Never taunt a woman scorned." Sigyn raised her hands and released a massive wave of magic, engulfing both Thanos and the broken Bifrost in a brilliant light.

"Sigyn!" Thor called, starting toward her.

Odin restrained him. "Thor, stop! If you interrupt now, her sacrifice will be for nothing."

"Sacrifice?!"

"Yes, look." He pointed to the Bifrost. It was slowly repairing itself the longer the glow surrounding Sigyn burned.

"But- How can that be!?" Thor gasped.

"She is using a very powerful and ancient magic. One that might consume her entirely if she makes the slightest mistake."

"How can she do such a thing?"

"She is a Vanir. They have always had an affinity for magic. I also suspect some of her emotions are leaking through as well. Frustration, jealousy, sadness, mourning."

Thor stared in amazement. "I cannot believe it. She truly has a warrior's heart for sacrificing herself."

"No, she has the heart of a woman who has lost everything." Heimdall corrected.

The last piece of the Bifrost fell into place and the light surrounding her faded. She collapsed to the ground. Thanos fell onto the bridge, doubled over in pain.

"Wha-" he gasped for breath. "I feel… weak. I can't- I can't…"

"Now the Norns smile upon us with their favor, Thanos." Thor pointed his hammer at him. "Surrender."

"Never. My forces are still stronger than yours."

"Really? Are they stronger than them?" He nodded past him at a horde of dwarves, elves, and Vanir warriors, ready to fight, now that the Bifrost was active again.

"This is not over."

"It never will be. As long as Asgard prevails, you will never achieve true power. Now call back your forces and rid yourself from my sight." Odin commanded.

Thanos gave him a defiant glare and raised his hand. His form shimmered and he was gone.

Thor rushed to Sigyn's aid, but it was too late. The amount of magic she exerted had almost killed her. Her body shut down and placed itself into a coma.

"Let's get her to the palace." Odin said softly. Thor scooped her up and headed for the gates.

"Wait!"

He turned to see Loki carrying Sayrah's limp form in his arms. Grief filled his eyes. "She's gone." he whispered. "She's dead."


	16. Chapter 16

Sayrah's eyes flickered open.

"Am I dead?" she asked aloud, not really expecting an answer, but surprised when a voice answered her question.

"I'm afraid you are. Welcome to Niflheim, dear." A spirit floated next to her, sympathetic. "I'll only take a few moments to get used to."

Sayrah examined her hands. They gave off a pale bluish glow. She tried to pull her sword from her sheath, but her hand passed right through it. "Well, this is an odd feeling."

The spirit smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Sayrah. Of Asgard."

"Ah yes, the girl who fell in love with the Prince." the spirit said knowingly.

"There's more to me than falling in love with the Prince!"

"I'm sure." The spirit grinned. "And how did you die?"

"I got in the way of a blast that would have killed- Hey! Stop that! Believe me; I have my own life outside of Loki."

The spirit chuckled. "But he is a big part of it."

"Yeah."

"So why aren't you in Valhalla?" he asked.

"The Valkyries and I aren't on the best of terms." she muttered.

"You are very odd."

"This from a talking, walking ghost."

"Point taken."

Sayrah smiled. She tested her feet by slowly getting up and taking a few tentative steps. "This isn't hard at all."

"I told you, you get used to it quickly."

"Well, now that I'm here, I might as well make the most of it." She started to walk from where they stood.

"Where are you going?" the spirit asked, floating after her.

"Straight to the source. I'm going to Hel."

* * *

"Brother, you have to move sometime. You've been sitting by Sayrah's coffin for days. You're worrying our mother."

Loki gave Thor a blank stare, his eyes deadened with grief.

"Brother…."

"What's the point? Nothing matters anymore."

"Don't say that. You need to carry on in her memory. How about we go to Midgard for a little fun? Jane has a friend named Darcy that I think you would like…"

"I don't want a stupid mortal hussy. I want Sayrah." Loki whined, turning from Thor in a huff.

Thor patted his shoulder. "Alright, calm down. Don't you think she'd be mad at you for just sitting here and doing nothing?"

"No, she'd be mad that I haven't found a way to bring her back."

"She's not truly gone."

Loki paused. "Say that again."

"She's not truly gone."

Loki's eyes widened, a thought dawning on him. He leapt to his feet and grabbed Thor by the shoulders. "Thor, you idiot! You're brilliant!"

"Uh… Thanks?"

Loki turned from him and placed a hand on glass surrounding Sayrah's body. "Don't worry. I'm coming for you. This time before it's too late." He moved to leave

"Where are you going?" Thor asked.

"For a daddy- daughter visit."

* * *

"So…. Do you have a name? Or are you just a friendly helper ghost?" Sayrah asked as she and the spirit made their way toward the center of Niflheim, trying to distract herself from her own nervousness.

"I was called Jeffray. Of Alfheim. That is, before I died of course."

"And how did that happen?"

"I was slain in battle by one of the Chitauri."

She stopped. "But that was only a while ago. You can't be adjusted to this state already! And you should be in Valhalla! You died a hero's death."

"I'm not a warrior. Never have been, never will. I was brought to Asgard to be a slave. My wife and daughter too. She died a little while after, so I had to raise my daughter alone. Her name is Jaenna. I suppose she'll be all alone now."

Sayrah swallowed uneasily. Of course. Of course the father of the girl she lied to would be dead. "That's- that's horrible. I'm sorry."

He nodded. "Thank you."

They continued along in silence until they reached a large palace mimicking the one in Asgard carved into the side of a bleak mountain. It loomed in the dark sky, shadowing the surroundings in darkness. A deep sense of foreboding and hopelessness gnawed at Sayrah's insides the closer they got to its' walls.

Jeffray paused before the doors. "I can't go any farther. It's not allowed. You're Aesir, so you are permitted to enter her territory. I wish you luck."

"Thank you. You've been excellent company. I hope- I hope you find your wife."

"I will search every last part of this realm until I find her."

She smiled tentatively and pushed on the tall doors. They opened slowly, ominously. Sayrah took a deep breath and stepped in, doors creaking shut behind her, effectively cutting her off from the rest of Niflheim and any second thoughts she might have had.

She scanned her surrounding as she walked. It was dim. The only light came from dark windows placed high in the ceiling. The walls were lined with grisly portraits of horrid deaths. They extended further and further, scene after scene of people dying different ways. Sayrah eventually realized that they weren't for decoration. They documented the deaths of every soul in Niflheim. She lightly ran her fingers over them, stopping when she reached her own. It was brilliantly detailed. Loki's surprise and anger as she leapt in front of him was captured perfectly. Remorse and grief tugged at her heart.

"I'm sorry." she whispered to herself.

"So you're my father's new toy."

Sayrah spun around, alarmed. A girl around her teens glared at her, her hands perched defiantly on her bony hips. Hel.

"Aren't you a little young to be goddess of death?"

Hel smiled cruelly. "Do you prefer- this?"

Her skeletal body began to writhe and twist in a gruesome manner, contorting her features into a monstrous demon shape.

Sayrah looked up at her. "Oh no, no. Teenaged is good. Great even."

Hel shifted back into her normal form. "Follow me."

She turned around with a flip of her hair and strode down seemingly endless hallway until they reached the throne room. Hel climbed the stairs to her throne and draped herself over it with, what Sayrah thought, a rather suffocating air of self-entitlement.

"I know why you are here. You can't though."

"I can't what?"

"Return to the living world. Not unless I say so, and I don't think you're the groveling type."

Sayrah gave her a dirty look. "That's fair."

"Life isn't fair, so neither is death."

"If you won't let me leave, then spare the father of the little girl!"

"Uh…. no." Hel replied flatly.

"You really are a brat."

Hel rolled her eyes. "Now you're definitely not leaving."

"Whatever." Sayrah folded her arms across her chest. "No wonder Loki never talked about you."

"Didn't he? Maybe he just didn't tell you everything."

"He tells me everything."

"Or so you think." Hel taunted.

"I am his oldest friend. I've been by his side since before you were born. I remember your birth. Every single one of his children's births."

"Always hoping that you would bear the next?"

Sayrah blushed and quickly changed the subject. "Your mother, Angrboda, was it? Where is she now?"

"Dead." Hel pointed past her at one of the scenes on the wall. "She was destroyed when he tried to eradicate Jotunheim from the World Tree."

Sayrah was silent, mentally reliving the day Loki married Angrboda. It was actually only to prevent another disaster between Odin and Ymir and bring at least temporary peace to the two realms. It was yet another one of Loki's few good gestures that Odin overlooked and took for granted.

"Doesn't it bother you to know your mother is dead?" she asked quietly, thinking of her own deceased mortal family.

"Of course not." Hel dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "Does it bother you to know that your entire life came out of a moment of pity?"

Sayrah narrowed her eyes. Hel was stepping into dangerous territory. "Idunn saved me for a reason."

"That's what you tell yourself. That's what Father told himself too. No wonder he likes you. He sees himself in you. How self-absorbed."

"Shut. Up." Sayrah hissed through clenched teeth.

"Poor deluded mortal. Once he gets bored with you, you won't matter to him anymore. Forgotten. Cast off. Used up. You know. You've seen the way he acts. I've almost lost count of how many partners he's taken. Or how many half-siblings I have for that matter."

"That. Won't. Happen."

"That's what they all say."

"How do you know?"

"I may be isolated, but I hear all. The regrets of all those mortals…" She sighed in mock sympathy. "How can you even stand it?"

Sayrah closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. _Don't hit the goddess of hel. Don't hit the goddess of hel…"_

"You aren't special to him. Do you want to know what he's doing right now? He's crying over Sigyn. Telling her how much he loved her."

Sayrah opened her eyes, infuriated. "That's it! You need to learn to respect your elders!"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Hel raised a finger. An invisible force restrained Sayrah. She struggled against it in vain. The experience was similar to the one from… "_Thanos. His 'Lady Death'. Could Hel-?"_

"Respect my elders? Ha! I have power that you wouldn't even begin to comprehend. I'm even more powerful than Odin himself!" Hel gloated. "Besides, you're on my turf. I can destroy you all over again with a flick of my hand."

"Does the name Thanos mean anything to you?" Sayrah threatened. "He seems to talk about Lady Death a lot, and that sounds an awful lot like you."

Hel's already translucent skin paled. "Don't talk about that."

"Oh? Did I touch a sore subject?"

"Watch your tongue." She was now face to face with Sayrah, fury registering on her dead face, shaking with silent rage.

"You watch yours." Sayrah retorted.

They stared daggers at each other in a silent battle of will.

**"HEL!"**

The doors to the room burst open. Loki stormed into the room and right up to his daughter.

"Hello daddy dearest." she said, sweetly.

"You release her right now or I'll-"

"You'll what? Banish me to the edge of the world? You have no power here, and you know it, _father._" Hel scoffed.

"I'm not here to threaten."

"Then why are you here?"

"To bring Sayrah back to the realm of the living."

"She can't leave. She's dead, and I won't let you."

"She's not dead."

Hel jerked back. "What?"

"Yeah, really. What?" Sayrah repeated, confused herself.

"True she did die. Partly. Only the mortal half. The Aesir in her is still alive and fighting. Do you honestly think she'd be this annoying if she was really dead?"

"Right here, you know."

Hel's face scrunched up in confusion. "But-"

"No. No caveats, no deals. I'm taking Sayrah and leaving." He gave her a stern look. "Release her. Now."

Hel sighed and the force holding Sayrah back lifted.

"The little girl's father. Let him go too." Sayrah demanded.

"Never."

"Thanos."

Hel shot her a killer glare. "Fine. Take him. Get out of my kingdom."

"This will not stand next time, Hel." Loki threatened.

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Just go."

Loki gestured to Sayrah to follow him. They walked out of Hel's castle together. Sayrah nodded to Jeffray on the way out, inviting him to come with them.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost!" Loki called once they were well away from the doors to Hel's palace. The air shimmered around the three of them and transported them through the magical bridge and back to Asgard safely and without a second glance.

* * *

"Oh come on. A dress? Really?" Sayrah complained upon seeing her corpse in the glass coffin.

"It's customary." Loki answered. "Besides, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, but I prefer beauty in life rather than death." she shot back. "I just kind of... phase in, right?"

Odin nodded. "So it would seem."

All of the Aesir had gathered around the coffin to watch Sayrah's return. They watched with bated breath as she floated into her still body. Loki leaned forward in anticipation.

Her eyes flew open as she gasped for breath. Everyone cheered. Tears of relief and happiness streamed down Loki's face as he hugged her.

"Don't ever leave me again, promise?"

"Promise." she smiled back at him.

Skadi rushed over to her. "I can't believe you're alive again! I missed you soooo much!"

"I somehow doubt that."

"Arse!" Skadi hit her lightly on the arm."I really did!"

Sayrah laughed. "I missed you too. Kind of."

Thor clapped her on the back. "I am glad you have returned. It's good to see my brother not moping around anymore!"

"Thanks, Thor."

Sayrah's heart filled with happiness. For once in her life, she was exactly where she wanted to be. And it felt great. She looked forward to the days to come, where everything might finally be normal since Loki's disappearance.

* * *

"What are we going to do about Sigyn?" Frigga whispered to Odin as the others laughed and celebrated Sayrah's return.

"We shall deal with that when it becomes an issue." He murmured. "Let's just enjoy the moment for now."

Frigga nodded uneasily, shifting her attention back to the happy Aesir. She didn't want to leave everything like this. There was a huge problem that still needed to be addressed.

Sigyn was pregnant.


	17. Chapter 17

It was deemed too risky to try and awaken her. In the coma, she stayed still in limbo. Out of it, death was certain. There was no solution to her slumber. And since Loki didn't seem to mind, Sigyn was essentially pronounced dead.

And that meant the spot for princess of Asgard was wide open…

* * *

Sayrah felt guilty.

After all, Sigyn was Loki's wife for a long time. She was told it wasn't her fault, but she felt like her and Loki's relationship finally pushed Sigyn over the edge. Hel's words lurked at the back of her mind, surfacing whenever she saw people whispering behind their hands, averting their eyes as she walked past, even staring point blank. She felt like an outsider again. She decided to visit the one person she shared everything with.

Heimdall.

* * *

He smiled at her as she approached. "Hello Sayrah. We have not talked in a long time."

"I know. It seems like forever ago."

"What do you have to say?"

"Can't you just look into my heart?"

He made a sympathetic sound. "So this is about him?" She blushed.

"Yes. I just feel terrible about wanting to be with him properly now that Sigyn is no longer an issue. I don't mean it like that- but- well, you know what I mean. I just can't help but be a tiny bit jealous." she confessed.

"You know my opinion of Loki."

"I know, but when I was under Thanos' control, that was one of the many fears he used against me. The thought that I really am nothing but a rebound, another plaything… And then Hel said the same thing…" She gave him a sad look. "Does that sound whiny?"

"Absolutely not. As much as I dislike the man, I can tell he really cares for you Sayrah. He traveled to the Realm of the Dead for you. He faced his torturer for you. He tells you he loves you every time you are together. Do you think he would do that for a 'plaything'?"

"No. He wouldn't. Wise words as ever, Heimdall. Thank you." He smiled warmly at her. They stood in silence next to each other, as they did when she was young.

"There you are! I've been searching everywhere." Loki walked toward them, a slight spring in his step. "I have something to show you." he told her.

"Loki."

"Heimdall." he replied coolly and took Sayrah's hand. "Come with me."

She glanced back at Heimdall. He nodded at her and returned his attention to the Bifrost.

* * *

Loki led her away excitedly to the stables where all of the Aesir's horses grazed. "What is it?" he pointed at the adjacent pasture.

"Look."

Boe had gotten loose. He soared happily around the grassy area, staying within the confines of the fence. The horses skittered nervously away from him when he got near. Boe flopped around, trying to get one to play with him. Sayrah grinned. He didn't understand why they were afraid. He thought he was horse too. The more he tried to play, the more they would run. One of the braver ones stepped hesitantly toward Boe.

"Is that-?"

"Sleipnir." Loki nodded. "Watch."

Sleipnir tossed his mane and broke into a trot. Boe flew after him. They chased each other around the pasture. Boe let out a joyful bellow. Sleipnir whinnied and kicked his front hooves in the air at him.

"They are too cute." Sayrah laughed.

"I thought you would like that." She looked at him. He positively glowing, beaming with pride.

"You're a great mom." she teased.

"Never gonna let me live that down, huh?"

"Of course not."

They watched Boe and Sleipnir play for a bit. "Sayrah, are you happy being with me?"

"That's a stupid question."

"Just answer it, please?" he pleaded.

"Yes Loki. I love you. I'm thrilled that we are finally together. I've waited for this my entire life."

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that."

"Why?"

He turned to face her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Loki sank to one knee and pulled out a small box. "Sayrah, will you marry me?"

She gasped. "Loki- yes, Yes, Odin's beard, yes!" Tears ran down her face as she hugged him. "I thought you'd never ask."

He placed one hand on the back of her neck and one on her waist, pulling her into a kiss. She entangled her fingers in his hair, still slightly crying.

"I told you!" Thor and Fandral popped up out of the nearest stable. "That'll be fifty gold thank you very much!" He gloated. Fandral muttered something under his breath and slapped the money into Thor's outstretched palm. "May I be the first to wish you glad tidings, you two!" Thor exclaimed happily. They let go of each other and blushed.

"Thank you, Thor." Sayrah giggled.

"Odin already knows. We've set the date for next week! Mother is going to be so happy when she finds out, brother!" Thor babbled.

"Let the man speak, Thor!" jested Fandral.

"We shall prepare immediately! There's a wedding to be held!" Thor clapped Loki on the back and led him away from Sayrah. He glanced back at her apologetically. She laughed and waved them off.

Besides, she needed to find Skaldi right away.


	18. Chapter 18

The week seemed to fly by, and now her wedding day was here. Sayrah sat in her room, waiting for the attendants to come and fetch her. It was nerve-wracking just waiting there. Was this how all brides felt? Giddy and nauseous at the same time? She'd only been to one wedding before, Loki and Sigyn's. Of course, Sigyn thought she was marrying Theoric, but still. She wondered what Sigyn did, waiting for Theoric's return. "_Don't taint this day with thoughts of that, Sayrah. Just… take a deep breath. Stay calm, and try not to puke on your dress." _she thought, repeating it over and over in her head to distract herself. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Idunn slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. She gasped when she saw her daughter. "My dear, you look gorgeous." Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Don't start crying. You'll make me do it to."

Idunn laughed. "I'll try not to. Let me get a good look at you."

Sayrah spun around, her silver dress swirling around her in a beautiful fold of silk.

"Oh!" Idunn clasped her hands together. "My little girl, all grown up. It seems only yesterday I held you in my arms as just a baby."

"I wasn't a baby."

"You will always be my baby." Idunn corrected. "And now my baby is getting married."

"To the love of her life."

"Yes. I'm a very proud mother right now. To think, in just a few hours, you'll be princess of all of Asgard."

Sayrah smiled and sat back down, smoothing her skirt down. "I know."

"I have to admit, I never thought that Loki would be the one you married." Idunn continued, moving to adjust Sayrah's hairpiece in a motherly way. "I was so close to telling you to stop pursuing him because it would never happen."

Sayrah frowned. "I thought you would be more supportive of my decisions."

"I am, dear. I didn't want to see you hurt, that's all. You've been through so much…"

Sayrah jerked away from Idunn, twisting in her seat to stare at her in disbelief. Did Idunn really have such little faith in her? And him? "Loki loves me. He would never hurt me."

"I know that now! But when you both were younger, he was such a bad influence. I wanted to protect you." Idunn took a step toward her, tripping over her words in an effort to explain herself.

"I'm not a child anymore, Idunn." Sayrah replied coldly. "I don't need protecting anymore."

"Please don't be cross. It's a happy day. Don't let silly old me ruin it."

Sayrah drew a deep breath to calm herself. "You're right. I'm sorry. Nerves and such, you know."

"I understand. Here, I want to give you this before I leave." Idunn held out a small golden bridal crown. "It was your mother's. Your birth mother's. I saved it all these years so you could wear it someday."

Sayrah took it gently, brushing her thumb over the edge of the small piece of metal. A tear slid down her cheek as she conjured up images of her mother. Would she have been proud? "Thank you." she whispered and hugged Idunn tightly. Idunn placed the crown on her head, securing it to her veil.

"Now you really look like a princess."

Skadi poked her head into the room. "Sayrah! It's time!"

Idunn squeezed her daughter's shoulder reassuringly. "I love you, dear." She left to take her place in the Great Hall.

"Are you ready for this?" Skadi asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Sayrah raised her chin and met her eyes. "More than ready." she nodded.

Together, they made their way to the Great Hall, stopping right before the doors. Skadi stepped aside to allow Bragi to take his place beside Sayrah. "Doesn't she look beautiful?"

"She has always looked beautiful. Even when she was little and covered in dirt." he smiled.

"Why does everyone insist on bringing up the past today?" Sayrah asked, shaking her head.

"You'll understand once you're in my shoes." Bragi assured.

Skadi paused, listening at the door. "That's my cue. Good luck!" she waved and pushed into the Hall. Bragi and Sayrah were left to wait by themselves.

"What I refuse to give you away?" he mused aloud.

"Then I shall kick and scream until you give in. You always do." she teased him.

"What can I say? It was worth a shot to try and keep my little girl."

"I'll still be your little girl. You have to learn to share, daddy."

"No promises."

She laughed as the doors swung open.

* * *

Loki didn't take his eyes off her for the entire ceremony. His breath caught the moment she stepped foot into the Hall. He doubted that even his silver tongue could have described her. Radiant. Magnificent. Exquisite. "She's beautiful, brother." Thor whispered to him as she approached.

"She is, isn't she?" he agreed, half to himself. His heart beat faster and faster the closer she got. "You look stunning." he murmured when she reached where he stood.

"Same."

"It's just my armor."

"You look good in anything."

Odin cleared his throat. "Beloved. This truly is a joyous day. Not only are we joining two in marriage, we are welcoming a new princess. We assemble today to join Sayrah Zuredottir, daughter of Zuregyn, child of Bragi, and Loki Laufeyson, _Prince_ of Asgard."

They faced each other and clasped their hands around Loki's sword, presented to the bride by the groom, keeping in tradition.

"Loki, do you swear, above all else, to be a true man, good and true of heart, and pledge your fealty, piety, and love to this woman, to honor her as she so honors you?" asked Odin.

"I swear."

"And you, Sayrah, would you pledge your fealty, piety, and love to this man, to honor him as he does so you?"

A sudden image of Loki and Sigyn's wedding flashed in her mind. He said those exact same words to Sigyn, and look where that had led. But she loved this man, and she would be with him forever if it killed her.

"Sayrah?" Odin prompted, looking concerned.

"This I swear."

"As they confirm their love, I invite any to name a reason this couple should not be wed." Odin looked round the Hall.

Thor glared around the room, daring anyone to speak up. Frigga bit her lip, worried, but did not speak up.

"You are man and wife. May the Norns bless this union tenfold for the rest of your days."

Sayrah grabbed Loki's face and planted a big kiss on his lips. All cheered when he blushed and held her tight.

Skadi squealed in delight, and Thor beamed with pride at his brother's embarrassment. They broke apart, grinning sheepishly at each other. Bragi clapped Loki on the back. Idunn had tears streaming down her face. Jaenna waved furiously from next to her father. The Warriors Three whistled and hollered their approval.

"Now onto the Feast!" Volstagg bellowed. Odin waved his hand and the servants cleared the area to set up for the festivities.

* * *

"I just want to say, I'm so happy for you, brother. I hope you are too." Thor told Loki through a mouthful of food.

"I am Thor. I truly am." Loki passed him a big plate of turkey legs, for once not minding Thor's horrid table manners too much.

Sayrah glanced over at Skaldi. She had forced Sayrah to seat her next to Balder, much to his dismay. She now chattered on and on to him, his eyes slowly drooping the more she talked. Fandral tipsily made his way through the crowd, attempting to refill his mug while flirting with the female guests. Jaenna's father sat by Idunn and Bragi, swapping embarrassing stories about their children with one another. The little girl was entertaining herself by feeding scraps to the hunting dogs lying under the tables. Everyone was in a pleasant mood, amicably talking and laughing with each other. Frigga was the only who didn't look like she was enjoying herself, Sayrah noticed.

"Frigga, Is something wrong?" she asked politely.

"Oh, no. No, I think I might be just a bit tired. It's been a big day for all of us."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me into your family. I know it has been hard for a long while, but I admire your patience. I look forward to having you as a mother-in-law."

Frigga swallowed uneasily. "You're welcome. I'm happy that you are my daughter-in-law, too." She turned away rigidly.

Sayrah shrugged, "_Hey, I tried, didn't I?", _and went back to her conversation with various well-wishers.

* * *

The Feast drew a close as night fell. When all had eaten and drunk their fill, Odin rose to get everyone's attention. "I want to thank you all for your attendance. It means a lot to me that you are all here, and I'm sure it means even more to the newlyweds as well. I wish you all a good night."

The Aesir responded with hearty congratulations and started to get up to leave when-

"Wait!" Frigga cried. "Wait, I have to say something!"

They stopped and looked at her, expecting some teary speech about her son.

"I am overjoyed that Loki has remarried, but… there's been a slight complication." Frigga took a deep breath, bracing herself for what came next. "While I was overseeing Sigyn's final rest, I noticed something was off about her. Then I realized why she had been so emotional before her final moments. Sigyn was, well, actually, is pregnant. With twins."

Everyone in the Hall fell silent. Loki paled. Sayrah dropped the glass she held. It shattered to the floor, echoing in the dead quiet.

"Is that- is that possible?" Thor asked hesitantly. "How can you be sure?"

"Thor, any woman can tell if another woman is pregnant." Freya said condescendingly.

"You would know." Skadi retorted.

"No fighting, please." Frey pushed them apart.

Sayrah turned to Loki. "Did- did you know about this?"

"No, absolutely not. I don't even remember…" he faltered off, a sinking feeling in his gut reminding him that he _had _slept with Sigyn somewhat recently.

"It _has _been about nine months since you disappeared." Sif volunteered.

"Shut up."

"What shall we do?" Thor asked. "We can't risk taking her out of her sleep."

"But it is unfair to the children if we let her stay as such." argued Balder.

"If we do find a solution, what shall we do with them when they are born?" asked Frey.

"They are Loki's. Make him take them." Sif spat.

"Ha! You've seen the way he treats his children now." Balder scoffed.

"Hey!" he protested.

"I'll raise them." Sayrah said quietly, drawing everyone's attention to her.

Loki took her hand. "Sayrah-"

"They need a mother. You are their birth father, so why not?"

"You don't have to do this."

"I know how it feels to be alone. Orphaned. Abandoned. Helpless. I won't let any child experience what I did."

Idunn started to cry. Sayrah placed a hand on her mother's shoulder but looked Loki straight in the eye. "But we'll be honest with them from the start. Tell them the truth as soon as they're old enough to understand."

He smiled sadly at her, understanding the importance of what she was saying. "Okay. We'll do it. Together."

"How we will ensure their safety?" Thor asked.

"It might be possible using a great reserve of magic." Odin interjected. "The Odinforce."

"Sir, you can't." Balder pleaded.

"I must and will." He turned to Loki and Sayrah. "Rest for the night. Enjoy your new marriage as long as possible, but we have to act within the next week before it is too late and the children die."

They nodded their understanding. Loki gently squeezed Sayrah's hand and smiled at her. She smiled in return, confident in her decision.

"As for all, you may leave now. We have much to do in the coming week." Odin said gravely.

* * *

"Come my beautiful bride. Let's make the most of the remaining night." Loki swept her off her feet and carried her across the threshold of his room.

"Put me down! I can walk, you know." she laughed.

"Alright, alright." He sat her on the bed. "Are you sure you are not mad? Or upset? Or anything?"

"Loki, that was before we married, and before we started a serious relationship. I don't blame you at all."

"You are too forgiving."

"Only to you." she kissed his cheek. "Besides, I'll be a great mother, don't you think?"

"I have no doubts. They'll be spoiled rotten." he teased.

She swat his arm playfully. "Like you can be called father of the year."

"I am an excellent father. It's the kids who are the problem."

She smiled and sighed. "Only a week before this truly happens."

"And I intend to make it as enjoyable as possible." he replied with a mischievous grin.

Sayrah winked at him, got up, and locked the door.


	19. Chapter 19

"Stop pacing. You're making me dizzy." Sayrah told Loki, not glancing up from her book.

He paused and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous."

"Then you should be in there too." she replied lazily.

"No thanks. Birth is disgusting."

"It's not real birth."

"Same difference."

"Not really, but okay." She resumed her reading. Loki wrung his hands worriedly.

"When do you think they'll be done?" he asked after a moment's silence.

"Don't know."

"I wish they would hurry up."

"Sit down. Here, take this." she handed him her book. "Some mortal wrote it without my help. It's actually not bad."

He sat down next to her. "How can you be so calm about all this? You're about to become a mother." He took the book from her and flipped open to the page she left off with.

"And when that happens, I will be all tears and emotions, but for now there's nothing I can do, so I might as well relax."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

Eons seemed to pass. Sayrah entertained herself by visiting the mortals. She let some of her anxiety leak into their minds, taking the brunt of it off her shoulders. She was nervous, just not in the way Loki was. He was concerned about everything going smoothly. Sayrah was worried about what to do when they actually arrived. How the hel was she supposed to be a mother? "_Will I be a good one? What if they grow up hating me?" _She wondered what her mortal mother would have done. "_Would she have been proud of me?" _

Loki fidgeted beside her, growing more and more agitated. He shoved the book back into her hands, frustrated that they hadn't been updated yet. "What is taking so long!? All of my other children didn't take this long."

"I think actual children work differently from monster children." Sayrah muttered under her breath. He glared at her.

"You know I don't mean it. Relax." She hugged him tight, trying to reassure both herself and him. "Everything will be fine."

The door opened slowly, and both of their heads snapped to attention as Freyja motioned toward them. "We're ready for you now." Freya said quietly.

Sayrah put her book down. Loki grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"_This is it."_ she thought.

* * *

Frigga stood in the center of the room, a baby in each arm. Odin sat nearby, looking badly shaken and severely drained, but he beamed with pride when Loki and Sayrah walked in. "Congratulations, both boys." he managed.

Boys. She was going to raise twin boys.

"Here we are." Frigga said softly as she handed one baby to Loki and the other to Sayrah.

Sayrah smiled down at the child and cradled him gently, almost afraid that she might drop him. "Hello little one. I'm your mother. At least, I hope to be. I want you to think of me as your mother."

The baby shifted in her arms and gazed at her with bright green eyes. He made a little sound, trying to respond to her and melting her heart. Idunn and Bragi stepped into the room, arms laden with presents for the newborns. They set the boxes and bags down and crowded around Loki and Sayrah.

"I can't believe I'm a grandmother!" Idunn cried, embracing her daughter and grandson.

"How do you think I feel? I'm a mother!" Sayrah grinned through teary eyes and handed the child to her.

"So precious." Idunn cooed, softly rocking the child.

"Almost makes me want another." Bragi joked as he watched his wife.

"Please, no. I like being an only child."

"We're here! Wait for me!" Thor burst into the room, Balder close behind him. "I want to see!" He took the baby from Loki's arms.

"Thor…." Loki warned, his eye twitching in annoyance. "Be careful…"

"What do you mean be careful? I'm excellent with children! See?"

The baby started to wai,l frightened by his loud voice.

"Hush, child! It's just your uncle Thor!"

Loki snatched the baby away. "Shhh…. It's okay, it's okay. I'm here, don't cry." he soothed.

The baby slowly calmed down. Balder stifled a laugh.

"Don't be so judgmental, Balder. If Skadi gets her way, you'll be in the same spot soon." he snapped.

Balder paled and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"What will you name them?" Thor asked eagerly.

"Narfi and Vali. Narfi and Vali Lokison" Sayrah replied, exchanging a loving glance with her husband. It took hours and many strained conversations to agree on those names.

"Names worthy of mighty warriors!" Thor approved. Odin nodded in agreement.

"Or anything else they might want to be!" Balder chimed in.

"_This is perfect." _Sayrah thought. For once, they were all together in peace, and not fighting. Everyone was happy. "_I want this moment to be forever."_

Loki placed an arm around his wife's shoulders, gently rocking the baby in the other. "So what do think?"

"I really hope this isn't a dream." Sayrah joked.

"If it is, I never want to wake up." he answered, kissing her cheek. Idunn handed the baby back to her. Sayrah held the tiny child close. She looked around at all the warm, familiar faces surrounding her, her heart filling with happiness.

"No, this is a dream come true." she whispered. "My dream come true."


	20. Epilogue

"Mother! Mother, look at me! Look!"

"That's great, Vali! Hold tight to the reigns, please!" Sayrah waved at him from the side of the pasture.

"No! Look at me! I'm holding the reigns, see?" Narfi trotted past atop Sleipnir.

"Good boy. Don't wear out your brother, alright?"

"Come on brother, let's race!" Vali sped by, urging Sleipnir to try and catch up to him.

"No fair! You got a head start!" Narfi complained, indignant.

Sayrah laughed to herself. They were complete show-offs, just like their father. They did take after Loki more than they did Sigyn. Same facial features, same hair, same needy personality. Vali loved to get into trouble and was always coming up with excuses, while Narfi was a bit more reserved, preferring to sit and draw or read with his mother.

She happily watched them play, but an unnatural breeze rustled the air, making Sayrah's skin crawl. It was a feeling she had only experienced once before.

"The Norns. I am honored to be in your presence again." she said stiffly and turned to face them.

"You have changed Fate, Sayrah Zuredottir." they chanted in unison. She hated when they did that.

"What do you mean?"

"This is not how things were supposed to go. We warned Idunn. She did not listen. We will warn you. Make the right decision."

"Warned her? Against what?"

"You."

She shook her head in confusion. "I do not understand."

"The destruction of your village should have spared no one. Not even you. Idunn couldn't sit idly by and let such merciless death consume all." Urd spoke.

"She saved your insignificant life, changing Asgard's future." continued Verdandi.

"Everything that has occurred since then should not have." added Skuld.

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"We want to intervene before all falls to ruin." the three of them said together.

"Yeah? Tell me what the future would hold if I had perished."

Verdandi stepped forward and touched a hand to her forehead. Images swirled through her mind. A wolf devouring a child. Dark elves invading from Svartalfheim. Balder slowly dying from mistletoe. Loki chained to a boulder. Thor pitted against Jormungand. Heimdall and Loki killing each other in battle. It went on and on, each more terrible than the last.

"Stop, please. Stop." she begged.

Verdandi pulled her hand away.

"It's better this way. Why would you ever want a world like that?" Sayrah cried.

"Because it is how Fate was designed. It cannot continue like this."

"Then why don't you kill me now and make everything 'right'?" she shouted.

"We cannot. But you will meet the one to kill you soon. Very soon." Verdandi replied calmly. "Enjoy your life until then, Sayrah. We will return."

Their forms melted into the breeze. Everything became still again.

"Mother, why are you shouting?" Vali peered up at her, a look of concern on his innocent face.

"No reason, darling."

"Mother, are you okay?" Narfi tugged at her tunic.

She hugged them tightly. "Yes, baby. Everything is fine."

"Where are my boys?" Loki approached them, arms wide, a smile on his face.

"Father!" they cried and ran to him.

"Whoa!" he grinned as they nearly knocked him over. "Did you have fun with Sleipnir?"

"Yeah! We taught him a new trick, watch!"

They scrambled back to the pasture in excitement. Loki laughed and stood next to Sayrah. "How were they?"

"Great. Fine. No trouble at all." she mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. The Norns… they came and spoke with me."

"The Norns?" Concern passed over his face. "But why?"

"I'll tell you later." She buried her face in his chest for comfort. "I don't want to talk about it now."

"Okay. But whatever they said, it doesn't matter. That's the future, this is now. No sense in trying to garner reason from their gibberish."

"I know." She raised her eyes to his. "I know."


End file.
